The Prince, the Odd Jobs and the Inner Dragon
by Tensouls
Summary: After been away for a long time, Lux returns to Cross Field and continues his normal daily life as the Chore Prince. This is the story of the former prince, who indulges in the many requests from the people whom he knew and the strangers he never met across the Kingdom. Soon, these connections would cause Lux to stumble upon an existence he has never aware of. (AU)
1. Chapter 1: Lux-Arcadia

**Hi everyone, after watching the anime and reading the light novels of Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut, I began to really like the series and ton of ideas formed in my head. **

**Story-wise, this takes place in an alternative universe. In that regard, I would like to get into the details at the end of the chapter.  
**

**For now, please enjoy~.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.**

* * *

**~Prologue~**

**[0]**

_A young girl looked up to the dark sky._

_There were sparks._

_There were explosions._

_There were heart-wrenching roars._

_The most powerful country in the world, the castle of the __**Arcadia Empire **__was burning to the ground._

_She stood inside that place, in a room where the lifeless bodies of the royal were left to rot in the intense hot air._

_She saw a black dragon dancing within the red flame that swallowed everything._

_There were other dragons._

_The battle of the __**Drag-Knights **__and a mighty beast. Thousands of men in their dark grey ancient weapons were sacrificing their lives._

_She held tight onto a sword which was too big for a young, small body like hers._

_Her mind was wondering as she stared at the jet-black __**Drag-Ride**__. A single dragon that torn down the army belonged to the kingdom in its rampage._

_She remembered the words of a certain man._

"_Remember that figure if you feel like it. It's the hero who took down the horrible empire."_

_When she turned to him, he had already disappeared._

"…"

_The young girl went into a well where there was a hidden passage, she used a key inside her pocket._

_One last time, she stared at the night sky lit by chaos. Her vision never drew away to the escape path until the battle was over._

_The black Machine Dragon stopped its dance as it floated in mid-air._

_The black armor with bloody red outline pulse ran across the body began to disintegrate._

_Finally, it was gone._

_At this very moment, it became a legend._

_The girl's trembling, soft lip moved._

"…_the __**Black Hero**__…"_

_She muttered that name. _

_"...father...I..."_

_Something else urged her to shed tears._

_As if she was dead inside._

…..

**[1]**

Dark clouds emerged above the sky.

"Ah, I don't like this."

A certain man didn't like it, not at all.

If he was right, the time should be around afternoon. At a distance away, a lightning struck down. The warning about an upcoming storm was clearly there.

It was the signal from an unexpected wrath from mother nature, he could almost see a small spark of light in the middle of the wood.

….please let there be no fire.

The horses at the front grumbled loudly before stopping, the wheels of the wagon which he rode halted. It sounded like they wanted not to end up in that part of the area.

"It's going to be a heavy rain soon, isn't it? Might as well take a break."

Leading the horses to pull the vehicle inside an open space at the side of the road, the man laid down near a tree to rest.

He was a merchant, an ordinary man you can find anywhere in the world. Recently, he just started this business all because he wanted to be with a girl whom he fell in love. She was the daughter of a wealthy noble in the region.

The man tried his best to surpass her father's expectation in many trials. This time was no exception, either. With the daughter's help, he was provided a wagon and currently, he was doing a commission given by the father to deliver some goods and a letter to their relatives, who lived up north.

If this went on smoothly, the daughter can have the permission from her father to become the man's fiancé and get marry.

The splattering sounds began to fill his ear.

Heavy rain and thunderstorm.

The combination of bad weathers did not give him a pleasant atmosphere. The thick branches on these trees should be able to prevent both him and the horses from getting wet for a while.

While the horses were feeding themselves with the grass, the merchant took off the bowler hat and covered his face with it.

It might be a good time to close his eyes for a while until the rain is over.

…..

**[2]**

***BOOM***

An ear-piercing noise woke the merchant up.

Unlike thunders howling non-stop at the top of the clouds, that sound was awfully similar to an explosion.

The man stood up and scanned around the scenery. He saw a column of smoke rising up on the sky despite the pouring tears, it was next to a river stream not far from here.

"What the-!?"

What he saw strangled his whole body with shock. In the midst of the storm, three mechanical weapons flew against the strong wind.

They were heading toward his direction.

The man stood astounded until those Machine Dragons went past over the branches above his head. He wasn't sure if it was due to his imagination or his eyes were deceiving him, however, he could have sworn that one of the Machine Dragons was holding a frail, young child in its metallic grasp.

"What is going on!?"

Was that the mechanical weapon called Drag-Ride he saw inside the museum at **Lordgalia**?

Was this some sort of battle?

Was this place a battlefield he accidentally set foot in without knowing?

This valley was located within the territory of the New Kingdom. It has already been three years since the fallen of the Old Empire.

There couldn't possibly be another war right now, could it?

It was decided, he can't stay here and think too much about this. He needed to get out of here, he needed to accomplish the quest given by his possibly soon to be father-in-law.

The last thing he wanted to do is getting involved in an unnecessary bloodshed.

"You bet I am!" Jumping back onto the front seat, the merchant proudly declared to no one but himself and the horses. "Sorry for interrupting your breal but I'm going to finish this, return to my lover then propose to her!"

Screw the rain and screw the storm! Even if this weather continued for a whole day, he was not going to linger here anymore minute after seeing such a sight.

The whip in his hand swung in the air, with a snapping noise, the horses started to move their feet along the road again.

Shortly after, black clouds continued to thicken.

The man could no longer see no more than five meters in front of him. Unnaturally, everything suddenly went dark that it was hard to believe.

Wrong.

Something was very wrong about this.

This was on the contrary to his thought, being stubborn and going further would endanger not only him but also the wagon.

….no good, should I stop at the river stream up ahead and wait until this weather is over?

While he was wondering about the choices, a mysterious light appeared in the form of a strange circle with pattern.

It swallowed the darkness.

It expanded for a moment, covering the entire land.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it vanished.

…..

**[3]**

When the river came into view, the intensity of the weather did not change.

The merchant left his wagon behind and ran toward an open field next to the natural stream. The source of that mysterious light greatly concerned him.

Because he saw something that shouldn't be existed.

Clearly as day, during the downpour, he saw the seven colors of rainbow. It was a phenomenon that only appears when the rain is cleared out.

…heh, I'm glad I managed to complete my study properly.

He seemed proud with that basic knowledge.

The merchant searched around, no trace of that light was left in this dark and wet place.

Rather, he discovered something else.

The remnant of a cart and a large metallic object were found in that spacious grassfield.

The merchant didn't have the knowledge about the distorted scrap of metal, yet he was able to recognize it as a Machine Dragon. The structure and its body limbs were closely similar to the three Drag-Rides he saw previously.

Still, he was clueless, he would have no idea the Machine Dragon he was staring at is a broken Wyvern. Looking at a full picture, the cart was nearly burned down to a crisp and the entire parts of the Drag-Ride was a wreck.

No one was there in the control part.

That explosion before happened due to the recent battle, and the pilot who controlled the Wyvern must have already escaped.

The chain of event should have occurred like that, the man believed so.

Until he shifted his line of sight to the river.

An unmoving body was lying there, near the edge. Next to it was a broken white sword.

Fearing for the worst, he immediately went to check the person's condition.

"Hey, are you alright!?"

The rain hasn't showed any sign it would stop, everything was dark, he can hardly identify the appearance of the unfortunate person.

From what little details he can make out, it was a young boy with unnatural silver hair.

His small built body was covered in tattered clothes, damped by rainy tears and blood despite there was no sign of injuries inflicted on his body.

His pulse was weak, as if it would stop at any moment.

….such a thing, how did this happen!?

Not planning to idle around, he carried the boy back to the wagon and raced to the nearest town.

Something happened on that day.

And….

Something also changed on that very same day.

* * *

**Arc 1: **_**The Chore Prince**_

**~Chapter 1~**

**Lux_Arcadia**

**Part 1**

The gold wedding ring on his left hand glittered in the sunlight.

Two years has gone by since the day of the wedding, it should be around the time to begin harvesting wheat.

A wagon with many stacks of goods steadily moved along the barren road, which leading to a village ahead.

"Hah...I'm nervous."

The silent forest made him feel uneasy.

The merchant was worrying sick while he scanned around repeatedly, he could hardly shake off the feeling of someone was watching him behind those thick bushes.

There were rumors about a group of bandits armed with Drag-Rides ready to attack and steal anyone who set their foot on this territory. He was desperately afraid to discover possible sign that inform him of an ambush from those bandits.

Why did it have to be this place anyway?

"Then again, my wife pushed the job of transporting these goods onto me." The merchant sighed in defeat. "I would get an earful scolding if I didn't do as she said."

In this wagon, there was no one else but him, he was talking to himself. Maybe he felt too nervous for his own well-being that he found some way to distract his own thought.

"Either she is busy with business back in the mansion or she is really concerned about her husband's safety right now."

He hoped it was the latter.

"Ah, what the heck, honey I miss you so much!"

The horses let out a deep grunt, this man was starting to annoy them. The merchant has been riding the wagon for half a day on this road alone, he has yet to see anyone pass by, not even traveler.

"Which is okay even if I speak louder, right?"

What an interesting man.

"I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU MY WIFE!"

The merchant did a great work in distracting himself from the negative chain of thoughts about the bandits or the possible ambush coming from them.

Few seconds later, he instantly regretted doing that in broad daylight with his cheek burned hot in embarrassment. Somebody else was a distance away in front, they were moving on foot toward his direction.

That person was covering his mouth. No, he was coughing while turning his head to the side. He heard it loud and clear and was pretending that he didn't hear out of politeness.

The merchant pulled down the hat to cover half of his face, whistling to clear the atmosphere. The melody came out bad though.

When that person came near, the man took a brief glance at his appearance.

A young boy with silver hair and a small built body, quite a distinctive trait. He figured the boy could have been a traveler since he was carrying a bag of foods over his shoulder.

Aside from the scarf loosely wrapped around the neck, he wore a common clothe made of cotton consisted of a white shirt, a green hoodless short cloak outside, fingerless black glove and work pant. Appearance-wise, he didn't stand out that much in a crowd.

Around the waist, he carried two **Sword Devices**. One of it was carefully covered in bandage.

Wait a minute…

The merchant widened his eyes, could this person be one of the Drag-Ride users? Those who can use the ancient weapons discovered deep within the many layers of **Ruins **according to the rumors?

Judging by the look on his face, that boy didn't look like a bad person.

The wheels stopped rolling before the boy walked by.

"Umm, you there."

"Yes?" The boy also halted his movement, his cold greyish eyes stared at the man.

"Can you tell me how much longer I can reach the village from here? I have some goods to transport and I fear the bandits would jump at my wagon if I don't hurry before it goes dark."

"A little bit further mister, but if you're concerned about the bandits then you don't have to. They're no longer around."

The boy smiled, and he continued his way.

The merchant scratched his cheek as his gaze fell on the back of the young boy until he disappeared.

Oddly enough, that boy's appearance gave him a bit of an uncertain reminiscence. He might have seen him elsewhere in the past.

"Alright, I'll take your words for it then."

….

….

The wagon arrived at the village.

It didn't take long to reach the place as the sun was descending behind the mountains.

However, the merchant was surprised. The first thing he saw was a lively festival.

It was a grand party.

Every men, women and children were happily dancing, playing at the center of the village. For a small place, he had no idea such big celebration would take place. Has the Kingdom anniversary come earlier than he expected?

If it was, how did this often occur? He thought this place would have been filled with difficulty due to the bandit's ruthless activities.

"Excuse me, what happened?" The merchant asked one of the villagers while taking out the goods from the wagon.

"We're saved! The bandits are captured, we're no longer terrorized by them. We got back what was stolen so we decided to have a celebration to remember these moments! We had suffered for too long and this day finally came!"

The villager replied cheerfully and invited the man to join in with them, an offer which he gladly accepted.

….

….

"Say, do you know who did it, the one who captured them?"

"We don't know."

"What!?"

"Whoever did this must have been one of the brave Drag-Knight officers from the Capital."

"None sense, there aren't any officers who were sent here to help us. The chief obviously knows who did it, but ours hero seemed to have made a request not to reveal his identity to the public."

"Whatever the case, we owe to that person a great deal."

"Now that I think about it, aren't we missing someone? Where is that odd job boy? I saw him running around the village just yesterday."

"He's gone." One deep voice resonated among them, everyone turned to the chief of the village. "He finished his works here, he already left."

"It's a shame then, the kid is going to miss all the fun."

The merchant laughed at the remark.

Suddenly, the figure of a certain traveler he met a while ago crossed his mind.

The silver haired boy with two Sword Devices.

This village's savior, could it be….?

"Do you think that odd job boy is our savior? If I remember it right, he carries two swords."

"Nah, that can't be right. I mean he looks too weak to go against an army of bandits on his own."

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

Once again, the chief spoke up and quietly sipped his drink. The conversation hanged in the air, never came close to a proper conclusion.

Listening to the rigid tone in the chief's voice, the merchant has an idea.

…...maybe I actually met their hero then…

From the village, the celebration went on for some time with a joyful feeling. The story of a hero who saved a certain region from a group of bandits armed with Drag-Rides was born.

Many days later, the tale spread across the Kingdom.

* * *

**Part 2**

The silver haired boy wiped off a drop of sweat on his forehead.

He fixed the black choker on his neck.

During a hot day, the choker really made him feel ticklish under the heat.

In the cross-shaped fortress city made from the blocks of five towns, **Cross Field**. The shadow of the small build boy wandered around the district.

"Next stop is….the shop up ahead." He muttered while holding a small notebook.

He only got back to town yesterday from the Kingdom, now he must force himself to indulge in a ton of requests that he wasn't able to carry out.

"Oh, **Lux-kun**! You came back! My storage has been waiting for you to clean up!"

When he knocked on the door, the owner of the store greeted him with a cheerful smile. It almost like the expression of someone who felt happy because their mess was about to disappear.

The owner led him to the backyard of the shop.

As the door led to the storage opened, the silver haired boy's jaw dropped in amazement.

Everything inside was indeed a whole mess.

"Well, I'll leave it to you then." The owner patted him on the shoulder and went back inside.

He was left alone.

He checked the memo again, there were five more requests until the end of the day.

With that in mind, the boy rolled up his sleeves.

…this is not going to stop me!

A fierce battle broke out as he wrested around with dirt, garbage and spider webs.

…

…

To serve and to help the people of the Kingdom.

That was an obligation and absolute aim for someone who was put in a special position in this country.

Lux took out the memo from the bag equipped on his belt to check again. It was already past morning, he needed to help another shop keeper to clean the glass in the front desk.

He put down a bucket of water and dip the towel into it.

White clouds on the clear sky continued to flow endlessly until his work finished.

"Nicely done, kid! That is spot clean." The shop keeper was delighted. "Here is your payment."

"Thank you very much!"

Lux humbly bowed his head and received the money.

"I'll send the request when I need you again."

"Please do."

The silver haired boy with a choker continued his daily job. His next destination was on the other side of town. He won't have enough time to take a break.

The next person has requested him to be available when the sun reached the highest location on the sky.

So Lux ran.

It was a distance that normally people feel like it would be best to take a carriage.

…

…

"Let's see."

Lux muttered as he rested by the fountain at the center of the district. He already carried out three job requests and he finally let himself to get a decent break.

He carefully outlined the job description of the two last requests.

[Request number] 23

[Work place] Albert Liquor Store

[Client] Owner, Albert Wayne

[Work contents] Clean up the store

…..this should be alright, it's easy enough.

Lux took a bite from the bread he bought and flipped the page. It took him a few minutes to consider buying a good lunch or just a simple meat as usual, since the money he got from the requests were used to pay for a massive debt.

In the end, he decided to go with just bread.

For some reason, simple food like bread tasted better today. Probably because he broke a good sweat.

[Request number] 24

[Workplace] Gible Bar

[Client] Owner, Gible Bluespeare

[Work contents] Look out the bar while the owner is away.

….the bar owner, I hope he would stop teasing me with dirty jokes.

The owner was a good man. However, he has a poor reputation with the ladies. He became a drunken demon if you gave him just one cup of alcohol. It was always difficult to get him out of the drunk state.

"Oh my, if it isn't Lux-kun? You returned."

Lux looked up to see a girl from the liquor store he was about to go to for the next request.

"Good afternoon."

"Are you, by any chance, go to daddy's shop?"

"Yes, I'm about to go there to help him clean up."

"I heard from daddy. Lux-kun, you can stay there for the night as payment." She offered. "Daddy already gave you an okay."

"T-Thank you, I'm in your debt!"

"Don't be so modest, I have something to do now. Do your best!"

She waved goodbye at him and left. Lux spent a moment to look at the girl's figure until she disappeared in the crowd.

He closed the memo and went back to work.

In the further region of the sky, dark clouds approached.

…

…

"Hey, Lux-kun, do you see that girl over there? Is it me or those hills of her are boing-boing a little bit too much?"

"Gible-san, aren't you supposed to be away at this time?" Lux asked with a dry smile.

"I already did, and I went back just now. My supplier contacted me that they cancelled the shipment due to circumstance, so no goods are delivered."

Inside the bar, Lux stood behind the counter and poured drink at customer's request. The owner was next to him, adding the boy.

"How is your works today?"

"It was ordinary."

"Just like usual, huh. Would you kindly get the bottle at the top of the shelves?"

He climbed the small step ladder to grab the object. Suddenly, he has a bad feeling.

Strange stares, as if coming from a predator, directed at him. They seemed to come from around the bar.

He has an idea of who those stares belonged to. But first, he needed to make a confirmation.

"I've been meaning to ask you this."

"Yes, boy?"

"Why are you making me wear this today?"

He wore a black vest with red ribbon nicely fitted around the collar, despite a choker was in the way. His appearance definitely stood out more than the usual formal attire as he worked as a bartender.

In the eyes of the ladies, who enjoyed their drinks in the bar, he was like a stylish, royal man. Even though his small build body and the childish face may cause significant damage to the very definition of said image. Still, it was a special combination that served as a bonus.

"To give them a little bit fresh air."

"I feel weird gazes land on me though!?"

Not to mention the place where he worked was just a bar, not some fancy restaurant.

"Actually, one of the ladies has been asking me to make you wear this when you returned. She wants to see you wearing these clothes, so she paid me with an amount equal to your payment."

"You were bribed!?"

Lux was almost petrified at this point.

"Now, now, Lux-kun." The owner placed his arm around Lux's shoulder. "Think about it, this is a chance for you to step into the adult world. Just give in to the experience, sooner or later, you'll become a man in the next few years. You're handsome and I know you're very popular with girls, that means the possibility is endless. You gain the privilege that everyman could kill to wish for, which making me jealous so much."

The silver haired boy broke out from his grasp, he stared at the owner's face.

It was red.

And he was holding a cup reeked of alcohol smell.

"You're drunk already!?"

"Hohoho~, I know young boy like you is pretty much interested about the opposite sex at this age. Take a good look at the young woman, who is sitting in the corner over there, she's been staring at you this whole time."

Lux followed his line of sight.

A very beautiful young woman was in that spot, she was looking at him.

"Can't you feel the passion in her eyes?"

It was fierce, bloodshot boiling like a lion preyed on a defenseless deer.

"Can't you feel your heart skip a beat at that provocative lip?"

It curved up, making a bewitching smile.

"Can't you see that she wants you?"

She waved at him, and the boy flinched as he didn't know how to respond. The young woman then left her seat and headed toward the counter, bringing along her empty glass.

"I finished my drink." She spoke directly to Lux and turned to Gible the owner. "Master, thank you for letting me see something good."

An idea instantly formed in Lux's mind.

It was her! She was the one who requested him to dress like this!

The young woman placed the glass back on the counter, the red mark of her lipstick remained. She winked at Lux as he noticed it.

The boy felt hot around the cheek, this was a glimpse into the adult world Gible spoke of.

It might not be so bad after all?

"Will I be able to see you here next time?" The young woman asked him.

At the sudden question, Lux sheepishly scratched his burned cheek.

"Ah….err, it depends on Gible-san."

"I see. Well, I'll look forward to see your cute face again."

That was a compliment from an adult. Lux knew he couldn't take it for grant, but he couldn't stop the embarrassment from tormenting him.

The young woman then headed to the exit. At this time, the owner whispered into the boy's ear.

"A piece of advice to you, Lux-kun. You should know that she's into S&M."

"Eh?"

The young woman gave him one last look before officially taking her leave, the look in her eyes spoke "I will break you someday, my new toy."

"Gible-san! Gible-san! I'm scared! Can I get my payment early and call it a day!?"

"No that won't do, my boy. Change of plan, I need you to be here and help me until midnight. Also, bring this cocktail to that table." He pointed toward a group of merchants, one of them was a woman who has been expecting the handsome young boy. "Be careful. That person is a widow, rumor has it that she wants to remarry a younger husband regarding of their status. Right now, I think you're her target, Lux-kun. Try not to get tempt so easily by the teasing over there."

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"

How did he know so much about these individuals anyway!?

Temptation and danger were everywhere in the bar.

Lux decided to endure it until the job is finished.

* * *

**Part 3**

Lux dragged his feet into the room the owner of the liquor store has prepared for him. He was entirely exhausted.

"What a day."

All the quests for today were done.

A deep sigh let out from his mouth as he met the nice, cozy sensation of the blanket. It has been too long since the last time he got a proper bed to sleep on.

….warm…

Lux let himself drown in this little blissful moment. He hugged the pillow, bringing it closer to his slowly beating heart.

His eyes closed.

And the darkness behind the eyelid gradually pulled his consciousness away.

…

….

…..

…

…

….._**You're weak….**_

Eyes shot opened, he immediately sat up. Cold sweats dripped down a frightening expression.

That nightmarish voice in his mind, it whispered those haunting words repeatedly every time he found himself relax too much with life.

"It's always like this." He said that to no one.

Something changed, fire of burning resolve sparked within his deep cold, grayish eyes.

Tonight, there won't be any sleep.

Lux looked over to the two Sword Devices leaning on the wall, he equipped them to the belt on his waist.

Outside the tiny window, moonlight cannot be seen. Like the signal of an omen, the calm before the storm, it was heavily raining outside.

The door quietly swung open and closed as he left.

* * *

**Part 4**

The next morning, every street were damped with heavenly tears.

People woke up and began the new day, they saw the lonely figure of Lux cleaning the blurry glass window in front of a certain liquor store.

He has always been the one to wake up the earliest in the morning with all the odd job requests.

"Good morning, Lux-kun." An older woman with good physique passed by. "Can you help out at my kitchen tomorrow? It's almost the time for the anniversary of the establishment of the **New Kingdom of Atismata**. You can also make a bit of dishes fitting for a party, right?"

"Ah, I'm sorry…I already have a prior engagement tomorrow." He quickly took out a pen and a notebook from the pocket on his waist. "But I do have some free time the day after, if it's okay please give me the info so I can come to you after I finished."

"Lux, can you also help out with taking care of my cows?"

"…..um…"

"Hi Lux, I'm running short on human resource here. Can you come over to my company and help me sort out the documents?"

"Oh, if this isn't the young lad. It's been a while. Will you be able to work at my place next time? I don't have enough manpower to plant some seeds during this season….."

"….I just came back so….."

"Lux-chan, you should come to my house sometime!"

"Can you become a play buddy for my daughter?"

"..p-please hold on a sec…."

The young boy was barraged by a ton of requests, he could hardly note everything down.

"Will you all shut up!?"

Within the crowd that surrounded a single boy, an angry voice of someone broke the lively atmosphere. The harsh nature of that toen brought silence to the street.

Among the citizens of Cross Field, one man stepped forth. He has a stern, irritated look on his face as he glared at Lux.

"I can't believe it, have you all been blind and deceived!?" He rudely said and pointed a finger straight at Lux, especially the distinctive feature of his hair. "Have you all forget who this thing is!? It's a member of the Old Empire's royal family!"

Lux's most standout characteristic, the silver hair he inherited from the **Arcadia** bloodline.

Five years ago, the **Old Arcadia Empire**, which had laid out tyranny and crimes against its people for a very long time, had been overthrown by a coup d'état.

He was the seventh prince of that empire.

"Not only that, this brat is a criminal!"

The black collar he wore on the neck, it was the proof that he received amnesty from the New Kingdom. He was the survivor of the old royal family and as a punishment, he was forced to sign a contract with the administration.

The condition was "undertaking odd jobs of any people of the New Kingdom." Which explained the kind of activities he has been doing up till now.

It was the only thing he can do to pay the debt that is about one filth of the nation's wealth.

The contents of the job varied from domestic servant, bartender, cook, blacksmith and fieldwork.

"I can tell that he's just acting, pretending to be friendly with you all and he'll ready to stab you in the back. He is just as rotten to the core as the Old Empire."

The man with a haunting personality continued to throw verbal abuse at Lux as he pressed a finger on the boy's chest.

The crowd already backed away a few steps.

"What do you have to say about that, huh, Chore Prince? You're only popular because you are convenient to us!"

More insults cruelly stabbed Lux, the former young prince remained silent and he didn't say a word.

It became a commotion, the situation only settled down when a guard passed by.

"Hey, what is going on here!?"

"Tch, I'll let you off the hook this time." The man quickly left, paying no attention to the guard who was calling him.

Lux was fully aware of the harsh glare coming from the man. It meant there will be next time once that person was around in the area. He recognized some people like that, that rude man was one of those who resented the Old Empire.

Out of all thing, this happened in the early morning.

Lux let out a deep sigh.

In the past five years after he was released by the amnesty of the New Kingdom.

The current life as a Chore Prince, as an errand boy was by no means comfortable. In the countless requests, he experienced many pains and difficult things.

Because of the Old Empire's adherents.

By now, he has already got used to these kinds of treatments.

Soon, the crowd broke up. Everyone went back to their business.

Lux grabbed the bucket and continued his job.

"Lux-kun, are you alright?"

The girl from the liquor store who gladly allowed Lux to have a place to sleep yesterday asked him in concern.

"Yes, I'm fine." He replied softly. "I'm sorry for causing a ruckus in front of your store."

"What are you apologizing for? It was never your fault! You know what, you should stand up against people like that sometime. It's been years since the fall of the Old Empire, and you are no longer a prince. People don't have to treat you like that."

"Still, I am a criminal." He touched the dark collar that seemed to squeeze the neck. "It makes no difference that I came from a corrupted royal family."

"But you're different."

The boy smiled awkwardly at those words, he shook his head. The girl probably understood, it was a topic that shouldn't be discussed in public.

"Anyway, did you sleep well last night?"

"Ah, yeah, thanks to you, thank you very much for having lodged me."

The girl playfully shortened her distance with the boy, she looked at the bucket he was holding.

"I see."

"?"

"You're helping daddy again, I doubt he asked you to do this."

"Your father let me use the kitchen to make breakfast, so this is-"

"Lux-kun, even though you also have many other jobs, doing works like this is tough, isn't it?" A warm smile directed at him. "Thank you!"

Lux was taken aback by the gratitude, he managed to gather himself together.

"Hmm, how should I say it? I guess….."

Shifting the view to people on the street, one thin smile unknowingly formed.

"I'm happy that I can help others."

*doki doki*

The girl startled as she observed that gentle expression on his face.

"Lux-kun's smile is so adorable!" She giggled.

"Eh…..t-thank you?"

He obviously had no idea why the conversation took a turn like that. Even so, this small talk has certainly raised his spirit up a bit.

The girl then looked up to the sky.

"Yesterday, there was heavy rain, wasn't it? I thought it would last over midnight. But it turns out to be a sunny morning today."

As the girl enjoyed the warming sunlight, Lux also did the same, he stared at the vast blue sky. There was no group of clouds up there. However, they could still see many visible masses of water vapors gathered at the further regions.

The shape of the empty space, where the sky was crystal clear, made an appearance as if the horizon was split apart.

"I wonder why the rain stopped so sudden."

"…"

It was a simple question.

And possibly, it may never get an answer.

* * *

**Part 5**

Lux didn't expect the new day would be this eventful.

"Stooop!"

When they looked away, at the moment when they least expected it, the small purse which the girl from the liquor store was carrying has been snatched by a stray cat from out of nowhere.

"Ahaha…you don't have to force yourself…." The girl forced a smile.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely bring it back!" Lux said with determination.

He promised her that, a repayment should be fine with a meal and spending one more night in the store.

Although he has been chasing after the cat for hours, his speed was inferior to its. As he was left behind, the tiny feline immediately changed its route.

It shot like arrow through the crowd and up the slope that located on the main street.

On the way, there were more people requested for his labor. Yet, Lux didn't allow his pace to decrease and lose the sight of that mischievous animal.

Capturing the cat was his priority. He would get back to them once the little thief was caught.

….that cat is smart.

It ran into a busy street to use everyone there as obstacles, Lux would need time to bend himself through all the gaps and openings if he wanted to shorten the distance.

Apparently, he won't make it. Exhaustion overwhelmed the last bit of energy in his leg.

The cat was heading toward the buildings in the central first district, the only road it took was the uphill slope that led straight to an academy on top the hill.

He heard it was an all-girl school, if the cat got in there, his chance to retrieve the stolen purse would be nonexistent.

And if he continued to chase it head on like this, the distance would never improve. It was a basic organism's instinct of an animal to run away from those who tries to capture it.

…..in that case.

Lux spun on his heel, he ran to a different direction.

…

…

Throughout the years working as a Chore Prince, Lux obtained more than just knowledge and experiences from each job.

Because he always organized the request to create an efficient schedule seven days per week, the former young prince also put in the effort to find the shortest routes he can take to move faster across the entire town.

As a natural hard-working person, it can only mean one thing for Lux.

Every corner, every alley, every house with back doors and rooftops that allow him to take a detour, he knew them like the back of his hand.

"Oh, Lux-boy! You're back!"

"Owner, please let me use the window in the back!"

"Of course, it's opened!"

He sprinted inside a shop and gave a quick greet to the owner. He carefully using the momentum to let his small build body sharply conquer the narrowed corridor and up the stair.

A window was opened for him to jump out, he kicked the wooden frame to fly through mid-air. After a soft landing on the rooftop, he continued to run past couple of balconies. Due to the rain last night, the ground was still wet, he has to be extra careful.

The tall building ahead located next to the hill, where the top floor connected to a higher section of the town. There were several alleyways he can choose to go further.

Lux braced himself for another jump. It was a long drop from a two stories house to a pile of tarpaulin sheets below.

His weight was light enough to safely bound up upon the impact.

He was in a marketplace. The location was more than half way on the slope. From here, he can get a good view of the main street nearby.

In the corner of his eyes, he saw the cat slowing down as it climbed the road. He hasn't run out of luck yet. A cat with a purse in its mouth was easy to find among the crowd.

The boy seized the opportunity to continue the race against time.

Inside a deserted alleyway, he reached the door that led into the backyard.

"It's locked!?"

Not good, he didn't foresee this!

Has his luck really ran out within these last minutes!?

….I can't give up here!

Lux took back a few steps, he dashed forward, increased the speed then kicked his feet on the surface of the wall to do a double jump. Thanks to that fluid movement, he made it through the gap above the door.

Now, he needed to make it to the highest floor of this building, the rooftop.

It was built hillside. However, the stair was not going to be an option, his heart was thumbing violently as much as his energy was drained from all the free-running.

….wait, they are reconstructing the place?

A wooden crane was on top the building, a rope hanged around the head as it was used to deliver objects from the lowest ground. Lux noticed one end of the rope warped around a log just outside the backyard while the other head was tied around a heavy rock.

The young boy has an idea.

He unsheathed the white sword on his waist, with the other free hand grabbed the rope, he swung the weapon. In an instance, the boy flung to the sky.

Within a few seconds, Lux eventually arrived at the highest floor.

He made it on top the slope.

"It's about time!"

Shortly after, the little thief was finally caught.

* * *

**Part 6**

Before he knew, the horizon was dyed a sodden crimson color.

It became dusk.

"There, there, little kitty." Lux gently rubbed the cat's head as he embraced it. "You should know that stealing is no good."

He bought a pack of dried fish and brought along the little feline friend. Thankfully, it wasn't much difficult to wait for the right time to stop it from entering the academy ground.

Lux had hidden himself to plan an ambush when the cat tried to move past the wall. When it climbed on the branch of a tree, it was the moment when he struck.

Apparently, it was hungry.

The daughter of the liquor store's owner often works at a certain restaurant in town, the kitchen was where she does most of the cooking. This cat may had smelled the lingered taste of food on her purse because of that reason.

The stolen purse was safely returned to its rightful place.

"Umm, you didn't look inside, did you?"

Lux felt strange that the girl asked him such question in a timid manner.

With a word of gratitude parted her lip, the event came to an end.

However, Lux still got an earful scold from the people working in the construction site back then due to him cutting the rope and breaking the large rock as it dropped without permission. His debt did not increase, though he needed to compensate by helping them for one day.

…..schedule is getting tight.

Lux sighed.

But….

The repayment was worth it!

He can sleep in the comfortable bed and has a decent meal for another night.

"Yes, you have to think positive!"

Lux tried to encourage himself.

This might be a small achievement, but it was still the reward to an act of goodwill.

The boy started to smile in relief, he did something good today.

"Nyaa!"

And the cat seemed to agree with that.

A stray cat and a boy without home, these two were going to get along just fine.

* * *

**Part 7**

Elsewhere.

Within the vicinity of the academy.

On the roof of one building.

***Crack***

A nasty sound like that was made.

And….

And….

And….

It waited, until the day someone put all their weight on it.

It was supposed to initiate the beginning of a great tale.

Yet, it never happened.

* * *

**Part 8**

There was the wall and a marble pillar lit by a lamp.

White steam covered all sight.

A young girl was leisurely enjoying the feeling of clean warm water caressed her moist skin.

Her small tender body relaxed in the large spacious bathtub, her curvy waist and the lovely collarbone were exposed as she washed herself.

The girl then scanned around, the steam was thick enough that she can only make out the outlines of other girls.

The towel unwrapped and fell.

There was a dark red brand below the smooth silky stomach. It was like a healed burn scar.

It seemed to ache slightly when the memories of long ago resurfaced.

For a while, the fateful night of five years ago appeared in her head.

"…Black Hero…"

**Lisesharte Atismata **quietly muttered that name under her breath.

The jet-black Machine Dragon that was responsible for the downfall of an entire country.

A legendary figure that will never be discarded from her memories. Whoever piloted that Drag-Ride remained the biggest mystery in the world.

And even to this day.

The young girl, who was the princess of the New Kingdom, genuinely wished to know.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: And that was the idea I came up for the first chapter.**

**Basically, the concept of the story is somewhat different than the canon, it's about ******a Fallen Prince who actually became a chore loving person**. This story takes place in an alternative universe, where Lux has never enrolled into the Royal Officer Academy. It would focus more on his life as the Chore Prince and the "Odd Jobs", the story goes from there. ****In this new AU, Lux's objective and demeanor are the same in some way, which I will try my best to grasp it along with other characters. However, since it is an AU, there will be new factors added in and new changes.**

**While the motivation is still burning, I really want to expand this idea further. **

**At the moment, my other stories are still on standby. I don't plan to drop any of it so rest assured and I apologize if I made you wait for too long. It will take time for another update since I can only do things at my own pace for now (talk about life).**

**That's about it.**

****Review the chapter if you please, criticism is also greatly appreciate. I will see you in the next note.****


	2. Chapter 2: Late-Appointment

**Hi everyone, here comes the next chapter.**

**Enjoy~.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.**

* * *

**~Chapter 2~**

**Late_Appointment**

**[?]**

_Several weeks ago, at the border of the New Kingdom of Atismata._

_A desert quietly lighted up._

_A massive barren landscape was engulfed in flame._

_A garrison in the middle of that place became a ruin._

_The cold air of midnight stood no chance in easing the raging fire that swallowed the sand. After a battle no one knew broke out, many corpses of Machine Dragon scattered on that devastated area._

_Only one person stood tall, acknowledged by the full moon as the victor._

"_How can this be….!? We outnumbered you!"_

_A man, being tied with the rest of his troops, questioned the impossible._

"_How can we be defeated by a mere weak Wyvern!?"_

_He shouted at the young boy, whose Drag-Ride disintegrated as the white sword returned to the sheath on his waist. The man groaned as red liquid dripped from the wound on his head._

_There were others. _

_The amount got up to more than thirty members, most had lost their consciousness while some were still bewildered, staring at the last one standing._

_None of them could handle the truth._

_They were the strongest in this area, they were the rulers of the sky above the desert. This should have been a sanctuary for them, yet everything ended up in smoke when this boy, an unknown existence from nowhere, showed up and annihilated the entire force. _

_That boy did it with just an inferior, heavy Wyvern._

_And there was no casualty. Perhaps, the fact that they were still alive was thanks to some sort of miracle._

"_I didn't defeat any of you. You brought upon yourself this consequence." The boy calmly replied._

"_!?"_

_Gritting his teeth, the man recalled back to the battle earlier._

_He was right._

_All the things that boy did were constantly dodging and countered the assaults from every direction. Not even once did he go on the offensive._

_Not. Even. Once!_

_Not to mention, he piloted the weapon without wearing the __**Dress Gear**__._

"…_.monster….."_

"_That is your own conception, I'm nowhere near that kind of level."_

"_!?"_

"_You think you are stronger with numbers." Said the silver haired boy as he went to an unconscious woman who was trapped on the Machine Dragon._

"_In the end, you are still inexperienced with Drag-Rides."_

_The metal arms of the Drag-Ride were twisted together to the front in a brutal way, he picked up the broken sword fell from her grip and disconnected the link with the machinery weapon. When her body fell with nothing to support, he caught and placed her on the soft ground._

"_Every single one of you fought me without paying attention to those around you."_

_Alone, he exploited that weakness to battle against an army during mid-battle._

"_That garrison was used to be a defense location of the New Kingdom against a possible invasion from a small country across the border. You stole these Machine Dragons from that place and terrorized others to your liking."_

_Now, that garrison was no more than a pile of rubbles._

"_People around the region have to experience hell ever since because you threatened their lives with these weapons, you took everything from them."_

"_So what!? You did this to help them!? Saving everyone by defeating us and acting like a hero?" The man spat out, looking down on the boy."What a delusional sense of justice, it won't change anything! There are more of us, no way you can put a stop to-"_

"_You meant the traitor who helped you seize control of the garrison from the inside." _

_The man froze, confused._

"_He was your inside man, a bandit acting as a Drag-Knight assigned by the Royal Capital as part of the preliminary unit."_

"_H-How did you know!?"_

_It was by pure coincidence._

_What kind of Drag-Knight wandering around a bandit hideout which is a few hundred miles away from his unit? _

"_If it is for checking the perimeter, the army garrison are only allowed to go in group. That was when his identity is given away."_

_At this point, he was already been kept in jail by the village chief._

"_What…what in the world are you!?"_

"_You don't need to concern about that."_

"_Then die, Hero!"_

_The man roared, the rope tying his wrist was cut by a hidden knife. He threw it at the boy, who was quick to tilt his head out of the way. The weapon grazed a few strands of his hair. _

_Grabbing a sword nearby, the man charged, putting all his weight in the upcoming fatal blow._

"_I was never a hero."_

_Time slowed down as the bandit leader thrust the weapon forward. The silver haired boy leaned to the side, one leg shot up and his foot slammed the blade down._

_The man widened his eyes, he deflected his attack so easily._

"_I'm the weakest."_

_Within his vision, the black sword left its scabbard and swung._

…

…

_The boy's cold glare met the unconscious form of the bandit leader, whom he knocked on the head by the sword handle._

_He shifted his gaze to the remaining foes who wouldn't dare to make a move after what they saw._

_That boy fixed the desert scarf, which wrapped around the neck with a black choker. The collar was hid with intention, he did not want anybody to see it._

_Not much exhaustion consumed his body, the experiences he gained from all the previous battles really paid off._

…_with this…I can say that I've improved a little bit._

_The boy let out a sigh._

…_if this reaches her ear, I hope she won't be mad at me. Maybe I should write a letter to her and send it back to there…to Cross Field._

_On the sky, the calm moon continued to glow as the flame died down._

* * *

**Part 1**

"Yo, Lux-kun, are you planning to participate in the **Official Mock Battles **next month?"

Inside a brick building filled with the smell of oil and metals, a brown man wearing a protected helmet patted on Lux's shoulder.

"Eh?"

The boy returned a startle look at him.

"I heard they're going to turn it into a much bigger tournament this time." The mechanic explained as he signaled Lux to toss him one of the tools. "The sponsorship will be increased, you'll get a big prize money if you win."

The former young prince wiped the dirt on his face, he thought about it.

"M-Maybe I will do it like usual. It's been too long since the last time I participated, I'm not sure if there's going to be any change in the rule if they decide to expand the number of rounds."

"Same old stuff, I assure you."

An Official Mock Battle was a tournament, which made use of Drag-Rides. It was held every month in the coliseum of the Royal Capital.

The prize to the winner of the tournament depended on the military record. Lux was not part of any force, he was just the Chore Prince of the New Kingdom.

What he could receive won't amount much to other officer cadets. However, it was still a hefty sum, quite acceptable that he couldn't let it slide.

"By the way, did you finish the job I requested?"

"Yes, I've already fixed the components of that Drake over there. I don't know how to make the detect function work again though."

"Well, you'll get to it. You're still learning after all."

Lux smiled wryly, scratching the back of his head.

"But why are you staying here? Shouldn't you be on your way to the next job?"

"I have sometime before the next meeting."

He was holding the white Sword Device that left it scabbard, he gently cleaned the blade with a handkerchief. The other sword was wrapped in a piece of cloth, leaving only the handle visible.

"If I remember correctly, you always use the Wyvern in the mock battles."

"Yes…..ah…." Lux remembered something, he quickly stood up and bowed to the brown man. "Thank you very much for giving me a place to keep my Drag-Ride."

"Don't do that, you're making me embarrassed. I already told you to consider it as part of the payment."

He shrugged it off with a laugh.

The mechanic looked over to a long line of Drag-Rides Machine Dragon standing motionlessly in their own respective spots, waiting for the maintenance.

"Lots of Drag-Knight officers have been sending these machines to our hangar recently. They say the hangar in the capital is already packed with more than a few hundred. If this keeps on, I must clean up the storage for more space."

Originally, Drag-Rides were super weapons to the extent that they rendered useless the existence of swords, guns, cannons, and horses, which were the main force of war.

Since their appearance, it already came to the point where it was impossible to talk about anything without words including war, diplomacy, commerce and industry.

Taking that into consideration, even Lux knew at least that a Drag-Knights training institution existed.

Which was why this kind of place was created for the purpose of maintaining those weapons.

"It's a pity these are just the common Machine Dragons, I was hoping that a rare type Drag-Ride will appear in this building someday."

If that happened, that would put them in a storm of pressure. Rare type Drag-Rides were the most valuable and precious in the machine categories. A tiny scratch during the maintenance might be enough to have them beheaded.

At least, that was how the rumor went by.

Still, hearing that won't prevent Lux from leaking cold sweat.

"I'll be going then."

The young silver haired boy put the Sword Device back into its sheath and waved goodbye.

"You ought to be prepared more, Lux-kun." The mechanic man gave him a thumb up, his broad smile spotted white with a sparkle. "You have my wholehearted support to win the upcoming tournament."

Lux was grateful.

Not wasting more time, he left for the new job.

* * *

**Part 2**

"What, you came back from the Kingdom? You should have come to my atelier to give your greetings to me. You were still in the middle of your training as a blacksmith at my place."

The stern-looking blacksmith stared down at Lux.

Lux wondered whether he should avert his eyes away or look back at him. He didn't know which respond to pick, there was too much tension in that gaze.

"H-Here is the material they asked me to deliver to you."

"When will you be able to come?" He grabbed the bag from Lux, not even once the intense gaze shifted from him.

"I still have a bit of free time in few more days so-"

"Relax, young man. I was only asking." The blacksmith went back inside the workshop. "Come on in, I want to show you the thing you asked me to do."

Lux followed him.

Numerous weapons with different kind were on display, and behind the workshop was another room.

Four large pieces of metal placed on the ground, the size was many times thicker than the armor a generic Drag-Ride usually equips.

"I tripled the weight of those components. The arm and leg of your Drag-Ride will be heavier once you equip it with these. Good luck with your training."

"Thank you very much!"

Seeing the excited look on the young boy's face, the stern-looking blacksmith turned away to let the edge of his mouth form a faint smile.

He was also a devoted supporter to his apprentice.

"Right, now hurry up and get back to work!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

Although, the man was known to have a very strict personality.

* * *

**Part 3**

It was already halfway through the morning.

The little cat that stole the bag of the girl from the liquor store yesterday was rolling on its back to let the belly face up the sky. It seemed to enjoy bathing in the sunlight.

With a lazy yawn, the cat moved closer and lied on Lux's lap. The young boy tasted his bread while stroking its head.

What happened in the aftermath of the chase made the feline decide to stick to Lux.

Currently, the boy without a home and the stray cat were resting at the fountain in the central district.

While having some peaceful time, Lux checked today's date in his notebook.

…..the next requests is…..err, it came from her.

[Workplace] Fort City, Cross Field Academy

[Client] Principal, **Relie Aingram**

[Work contents] New Kingdom, maintenance of Drag-Rides in the fourth Machine Dragon Hangar.

Lux turned around to see the view of the big buildings located on top the hill .

…..I have to go in there today, huh.

Because he was fully aware the fact that he was a young healthy boy, Lux has a bad feeling about this job. Still, this could be an opportunity for him to have a reunion with that person after a long time parting.

"Found you…"

"!?"

"You've been here this entire time."

Lux spun back, the shadow of a stranger rose over him. Roughed breathing could be clearly heard between the smiling teeth. For some reason, there was an awful stench lingered in the air.

The cat on his lap startled and began hissing at that stranger.

When Lux caught the view of an object that stranger was holding in their hand, he nearly forgot how to breath.

It was a butcher knife.

* * *

**Part 4**

**Royal Officer Academy**, the Girl's academy of Drag-Knights founded by the New Kingdom of Atismata.

It was a place where noble children gathered, decorated with high class furniture and arts. Those who set foot here was left bewildered by the luxurious yet elegant impression.

Inside the reception room for visitors, two female students were sitting still on the sofa.

One was a calm black-haired girl with stoic face.

The other was a girl with an attractive silver hair, she wore the same dark collar as Lux.

Her graceful posture and the calm atmosphere defined her as a high-class noble that somehow looked more mature than a certain older brother.

"According to this note, it seems we will have a visitor today." The calm black-haired girl read a small paper given by the principal of the school. "Though we don't know the exact time that person will come."

As she said that, gentle knocks from the door resounded. Someone wanted to enter the room.

"Noct, will you leave the guest to me?" The silver haired girl asked her friend, **Noct Leaflet**. "I can handle this alone."

"Yes. Are you perhaps familiar with the person behind that door?"

She nodded.

And the door swung open.

"Um, excuse me."

….ah….

She briefly widened her eyes.

It was not the guest, it was one of the female students who came to make a request.

"Airi-san, can you help me? There's a training section with the Drag-Ride today, and I have a list of documents right here. I can't make the time to sort it out."

The student put a stack of papers on the desk.

**Airi Arcadia** glanced over the amount of paperwork for a short period, she spoke to the student with a calm expression.

"Very well, when you have finished with the training please return here again. I'll finish it by then."

"Thank you, I'll leave it to you."

The student left, leaving the two girls alone to their own space.

"That is quite a long list."

"It's fine." Airi took a paper and read the content. "This is part of what I do."

…..

…...

When the shadow of the window frame stretched along the floor, the sky changed to a lonely shade of orange.

"It's finally done."

Airi put down the last sheet. Her friend, the black-haired girl who sat next to her, was amazed even though her facial expression didn't hint any emotion at all.

The amount of effort the girl spent to perform the task was extraordinary.

However, their guest was still not coming.

"Let's head back, Airi. It looks like our guest won't be here."

"Please go ahead, Noct." Airi said to the girl, who already stood up and prepared to leave. "I will return later, there are some more works to do."

"Yes. In that case, I will see you in the dorm."

Waving goodbye at her friend, the girl remained behind, her tender figure was engulfed by the glowing dusk.

After the door closed with a click, Airi turned to the quiet scenery outside the window.

Classes were over.

Most of students in the school were returning to the dormitory around this hour. Of course, saying there were some more works for her to do was just an excuse.

The young girl let out a small sigh. She rested her head on the desk as she stared at somewhere far away.

She wanted to stay here.

She wanted to wait a little longer until that door was knocked on again.

She wanted to satisfy her selfishness for wanting to meet that person after a long-time parting.

It was only yesterday that she caught wind of his return.

….Nii-san, what's taking you so long? When will you come?

Longing for a reunion, the feeling troubled her. That was the reason why she needed to be alone, she wouldn't want her friend Noct to find out about this.

The younger sister wondered how she should keep her composure together when she saw her big brother again.

Should it start with a former greeting like normal?

Or should it start with a big comfort hug?

If this took any longer, she felt like she would stick to his side for a whole day.

…Wha-!?

Realizing those thoughts in her mind were turning weird, the girl shook her head.

What was she thinking? They were just sibling taking care of each other.

After the coup d'état years ago, Lux Arcadia was the only family she has left in the world. By no mean it was strange of her to love Lux like a little sister and as a family member.

"That boy really is late, could it be that he is busy with another job?"

A feminine, mature voice caused her to jolt in panic. She noticed the presence of a woman sitting next to her.

"H-Headmistress!? Why are you here in the reception room!?"

"I was hoping for Lux-kun to arrive at my office early today, but he hasn't come yet. He seems rather busy after getting back to Cross Field, I thought that if I wait here for a little bit when school is over, maybe he will show up soon and we can discuss the matter immediately. That boy is a very diligent person after all."

Relie Aingram, who was the principal of the Royal Officer Academy, has a beautiful young look. She has a teasing smile on her face as she spoke to the fluttering young sister of the boy.

"Airi-chan, do you miss your brother so much to the point you were daydreaming?"

"….I….have no idea what you are talking about." Airi glanced sideway. "In the beginning, he left the city to do the usual work. Once he finished…he would eventually return. It's pointless for me to have unnecessary thoughts that could interrupt my part in the given tasks."

"Ufufu~, I can detect a large amount of affection in between those short delays, you know."

"…"

As Airi replied with a silence and straightened herself, Relie saw a tinge of pink blooming on her cheek.

"I'm only worry about Nii-san since he has the tendency to get into trouble all the time because of his personality, that is all. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Is that so?"

That smile on the principal's lip never faded. The young girl has to turn away, it was hard to deal with this person in her teasing mode.

"Either way, Headmistresss-"

"Relie-san is fine, you don't need to be so formal when speaking to me after classes."

"Well then, Relie-san. Why do you suddenly propose the idea of having Nii-san to work in this school? If other students know about this, won't your plan be objected? Particularly speaking, that person among the third-year will voice her objection as soon as she returns from the capital."

Relie stared at the ceiling, a thoughtful look spread on her face as she rested her chin on the back of her hand.

"Hmm, in general, I do need him to lend a hand with a specific job that I cannot leave to the girls. If we consider the nature of such work, Lux-kun is the only one capable to do it."

Airi was somewhat tensed up with both eyes closing. Noticing that, the woman who seemed to be in her late twenties or so let out a small sigh.

"Don't worry, Airi-chan." She reassured her. "Unlike those people who are leading a pleasure life in the Royal Capital, you know that I don't seek any benefit from exploiting Lux-kun's ability. There's a position I earnestly want him to have it. Of course, I won't force on him if he doesn't like it. In the end, it's just a work of maintenance, no pressure."

Relie Aingram has been a longtime acquaintance of the Arcadia sibling ever since the former imperial family's reign was at its prime.

She herself was also the daughter of a famous financial group which held a market directly associated with the nation. In other words, she was one of the native cased young ladies.

Airi's current status as a criminal and her position in the Academy, it was thanks to the principal played a part in using her influence to shelter the former imperial princess.

She was the one who provided a temporary home to her, who was too frail for the heavy lifting her brother was handling.

"I do not doubt you, Relie-san."

The young girl would never have that kind of thought toward the woman.

However,….

"However,…" A pair of half-lidded eyes pierced through the flaw of her words. "There's a hidden motive behind, isn't it? You didn't mention no to that."

Relie flinched.

"….my, you found out."

She didn't deny it.

"Airi-chan is as sharp as always."

The Headmistress continued to smile in confidence, as if she hasn't lost yet.

"Someone has to be like that to help you clean the mess whenever you're having too much fun with school activities."

Relie slightly titled her head to one side while a hand touched her cheek.

"Perhaps you're right. Ah, how troublesome, it seems I have to reveal my true intention."

"…"

"Airi-chan, the truth is…."

Words came to a halt, Airi listened as the suspense silence dominated the air. It was the intense waiting of an audience who pleaded to watch the plot twist of a certain story behind the red curtain.

"The truth is…."

Her shoulder stiffened, and the small, tender hands slowly formed into a fist gripping the edge of her skirt.

"….I…"

…..you…..?

The Headmistress was?

What was it?

What was it!?

Relie suddenly has this troubled look appeared on her beautifully young expression, accompanied by a tiny blush.

"**I have been fancied Lux-kun a lot."**

"….Eh?"

Airi's mouth agape at the shocking truth.

Fancy?

What did she mean by that?

"I cannot wait to see him again, it's intriguing to know how much he has changed while working outside Cross Field. Oh, dear me~." Relie leaned back on the chair, arms pressed under the prominent bosom as she embraced herself. "He was so cute and adorable when we first met. I wish someday he would call me Relie onee-chan or maybe even sister-in-law!"

Airi was still frozen on the spot while the Headmistress let out her thought in ecstasy, the young girl tried to process those words slowly as her time came to a stop.

"I'm just kidding~."

"…"

With a mischievous smile all over her face, Relie giggled.

…..this person….

Airi tried to keep calm, although the twitching eyebrows might expose her annoyance.

The Academy for noble children was managed by her, everything in this place has her influence. It was a miracle the school moral didn't go down till this day.

"I'm just very fond of Lux-kun as a hard-working person who is serious in taking responsibility with the odd jobs. Other than that, I like to view him in a professional relationship."

Hearing that seemed to help the younger sister calm down.

"Though, I don't really mind if we go beyond that~."

"Basically, isn't that the same thing!?"

No good! Airi-chan's emotion was leaking out!

"Unfortunately, I don't favor being hated by my younger sister or becoming her rival. We can leave this story for another time."

In the end, all of that was just to tease her!?

"Relie-san, please behave appropriately for someone your age."

"I wonder what you are talking about, I am still a girl with a beautiful young look, you know."

The woman smiled again.

However, there was darkness somewhere behind that expression. Airi paid no heel to that, she ignored the landmine and focused on her own works.

The two continued to wait.

…

…

**Knock Knock Knock!**

Three gentle sounds echoed when the sun already disappeared into the landscape.

He is here!

The boy whom they were waiting has finally arrived.

Putting aside the manuscript, Airi hurriedly went for the door. The Headmistress who fell asleep on the sofa also woke up.

This was it! What should she tell him first when she turns that doorknob?

For a reunion after a long time, perhaps the most appropriate gesture was a simple greeting?

No, if she thought about this carefully, that big brother made her wait for half a day, he made her constantly worried about him, thinking nonstop that he might be in trouble somewhere along the way.

Moreover, he was being awfully late for a request from Relie.

A simple good evening won't justify it, she must give him a scolding for doing this to her.

…..that's right, Nii-san deserves it!

Just make an icy face, glare at him through the door gap. Then look away, pretending to give that boy a cold shoulder for a while. Once he apologized, she will settle the worry she was having all this time.

"Umm, excuse me, I'm here for the documents."

…..eh?

It was not Lux.

Much to Airi's surprise, it was the female student from before. She returned from her training to ask for the list of documents Airi had sorted out.

"Thank you so much for helping me, Airi-san!" The girl expressed her gratitude in joy as she received what she needed. "If it's okay, please allow me to treat you for lunch tomorrow as a repayment."

"It is part of my tasks, you don't have to go that far. Either way, you are welcome." The silver haired girl politely replied with a bow. "If I may ask, what are you planning to do with this list?"

"Oh, it's getting late, so I will return it to the library immediately. There are new materials delivered to the office this morning, we plan to put everything on the shelves on the next day."

"In that case, I can help returning it for you. I am planning to head there once I have completed my works here."

"I see, I shall entrust it to you then."

She left, and the door closed once again.

Airi merely sighed at the silence followed.

"Are you disappointed because it wasn't him?"

She jolted up when the Headmistress spoke from where she was resting. No words came out from the young noble girl, what Relie said might have struck her right in the feel.

"For you question, I only concern Nii-san's irresponsibility for forgetting the appointment at this point." Returning to her seat, Airi said with both eyes closing shut. "When he comes here tomorrow, I will be sure to lead him to your office immediately. I will do my own things while he does his."

Relie felt irritation boiled up in the deep tone of the girl, she observed a little more until Airi turned to look at her.

"….but….."

The face she was making was like that of a lonely child, waiting for her family to come home and have a good time together, only to be informed that they have to spend another week at work.

"I would be lying if I said I'm not feeling it."

She felt somewhat sad that she couldn't see her brother today.

Around this time, school has officially closed.

Groups of patrol was guarding the vicinity and keeping watch over any suspicious intruder.

Other than the residents, which were the students, the staffs and teachers who resided in the dorm, visitor and individual from outside were forbidden to enter the school ground. Those who would dare to break the regulation will face the wrath of the **Knight Squadron**.

….it can't be helped, I have to wait until tomorrow.

She would see him again after tonight. For now, she must endure.

"Ey."

"Hyah!?" Airi startled.

Something soft pressed into the back of her head. From behind, Relie pulled her into a hug, the woman's arm gently wrapped around her petite figure.

"There, there, Airi-chan. Let me spoil you~."

"Guh….guuguh!"

"If Lux-kun is not here, I'm ready to be your onee-chan at any time~."

What an outrageous thing to say from the head administrator of a prestigious school.

"Nii-san is the only family for me!" Airi struggled. "More importantly, don't you have a younger sister to do this rather than me!?"

"Oh my, what a shame~, maybe I should try this more often."

Relie rubbed Airi's head with hers, the ultimate technique of any doting big sister who wanted to gain affection from their younger sibling.

"Guh….ggu…haa..hah!"

Ah.

No good.

Her spirit was wavering.

At this rate, this tender softness will take over her consciousness. If she didn't break out from her grasp, she would succumb to the motherly warmth of this person.

"….I….I….."

"Yes?"

Airi's trembling lip parted and closed repeatedly.

Her head was getting dizzy, she needed to get the words out.

"I have works to do!"

She ran away with the documents.

The Headmistress Relie Aingram was left behind in the reception room.

"Oh dear, maybe I overdid it."

One hand supported her cheek as she shifted her view to the crescent moon outside, the young woman has a small smile formed on her relieve expression.

"At the very least, that gloomy look won't linger on her face for a while."

* * *

**Part 5**

Beneath the moonlight, a very beautiful girl wandered around the courtyard.

She has a slender and well-proportioned body, noble features and cold sapphire eyes.

She was like a perfect work of art, so perfect that mere words of praising wouldn't be enough to describe everything about her presence. As if she was someone out of this world.

**Krulcifer Einfolk** kept strands of light blue hair over her shoulder as they were caressed by the wind.

The beautiful girl gazed upon the stars beyond a clear night sky.

….it seems there won't be rain tonight as well.

She recalled the weather of the night from two days ago.

That one night, inside her dorm room which lit by a dim lamp, the girl listened to the splattered sound of the rain. A book in her hand, entertaining the girl as she read it.

Suddenly, everything went quiet, she could no longer hear the relaxing melody outside.

When she closed the book and had a look outside, the shining moon met her eyes, stars appeared when dark clouds vanished.

It was then, Krulcifer noticed a series of movements.

Approximately above a thousand altitude, something flashed through the sky.

Something effortlessly torn the air as it grazed a path between masses of clouds.

An unknown existence.

A figure that became a legend.

A jet-black Machine Dragon.

Within a blink of an eye, the darkest Drag-Ride disappeared without a trace.

"..…..the Black Hero…"

The legendary Drag-Knight who took down the Old Arcadia Empire five years ago.

Krulcifer muttered that name in deep thought.

It appeared and went off quickly, like this gentle breeze she felt. She was expecting something to happen, she was looking forward to another downpour.

Tonight, she would look at the sky once more to check.

Just so she could be sure, that there was indeed a possibility for her to turn the tide of fate.

…..something like this cannot be a naïve thinking…can it?

"Excuse me! Is anyone there!?"

"?"

Krulcifer stopped her train of thoughts as she heard a voice calling. It came from the direction where the Academy main gate is located.

"I have an appointment with principal Relie Aingram! I'm sorry for being late but she asked me to see her today!"

She saw a nervous young boy standing on the other side. The gate was locked, that boy kept his hands on the poles served as a barrier, persistent on waiting for someone to hear his calling.

"Please open the gate, I really need to see her! Is there someone here!?"

Since it already passed the regular office hour, it was strange of someone to visit the school around this time.

As she approached, she recognized the most distinctive features of that boy.

The black collar on his neck.

The pure exhausted expression, somehow deathly pale, was showing determination and responsibility.

The kempt silver haired that somehow messed up by sweat and tear, making you think he just returned from a battlefield of some sort.

"Nyaa~."

And a little cat was lying on top of it.

His appearance resembled to a certain first-year student she was acquaintance with.

He was Lux Arcadia.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: Best supportive sister characters and one of the best girls ******of the series **made their appearances (in my opinion, okay).**

**Well, that's about it for the second chapter.**

**Review the chapter if you please, criticism is also greatly appreciate. I will see you in the next note.**


	3. Chapter 3: Request-Accepted

**Hi everyone, here is the next chapter.  
**

**Enjoy~.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.**

* * *

**~Chapter 3~**

**Request_Accepted**

**Part 1**

What happened was a disaster.

"Lux-kun, help me bring those dishes to table 14!"

"Y-Yes!"

The silver haired boy quickly grabbed the fragile objects and brought them to said table. There was a long line of people stretched all the way through the street, Lux could hardly see the end of it while he worked inside the restaurant.

The number of customers poured into the place was beyond terrifying.

"Lux-san, please help me!" From the kitchen, a pleading voice called out to him.

"I'm on it!"

It was the first day, this restaurant had just opened in the morning. The owners of the store were three siblings, they decided to start their own business. However, only two of them have the experience to do the job.

As for the youngest brother in the house, who was a little bit slow on everything. It was the biggest problem for him.

After serving the newly made dishes at several tables, Lux dashed into the kitchen. On the way, he grabbed an apron and put it on.

"!?" The boy gasped in horror.

He saw a mysterious black substance leaking from one of the pots, there were also creepy stains scattered on the slippery floor.

The youngest brother with a butcher knife in his hand casted a despaired gaze on the ground, his outfit was wet with roughed stenches from all the raw meats and fish sauces.

….he gave up!?

Lux instantly realized that.

"Lux-san, please help! I forgot how to do it!"

He showed him how to cut the meat in a proper way before turning to a mountain of dirty dishes. The eldest brother was there, having his hand full as he cleaned them.

"I'm sorry for pulling you out from other jobs like this, we really need your help right now!"

Due to Lux once helped him with various requests in the past, the eldest brother became one of many acquaintances of the former prince. In an urgent case like this, Lux's quickness and flexible thinking were vital.

"Big brother, we have ten more orders from-gyahhh!"

The middle sister ran in, she slipped her foot by accident.

With a smooth motion, Lux put down the dirty dishes and went to catch her from the fall.

"I got you!"

She blushed a bit.

The silver haired boy quickly processed the orders and lent the youngest brother a hand in cooking the food. They couldn't take a moment to rest, everyone would be overwhelmed by the amount of works if they stood idle for a few seconds.

As for the little kitty, it was having a big lunch in the corner.

…..

…..

"Thanks Lux-kun, come back later so we can treat you for a meal!"

When the number of customers has subsided, Lux was finally allowed to go for his next job.

Still, that was not the end.

On his way to the Academy, a troubled gentleman approached.

"Oh, there you are! I have been looking for you! Please play with my daughter for a bit!"

"Eh?"

"I kept telling her that you were busy, but she misses you so much she won't listen to anything me and my wife said, she wants to play with you! Please, spend some time with her or she will hate this poor old man!" The troubled gentleman cried.

"Lux onii-chan…."

Behind him, a child stepped out, she stared at him with watery eyes.

He could only smile wryly and nodded at the gentleman's daughter who was on the verge of tear.

….

….

Lux sat inside a big room.

His eyes wandered to the many luxurious furniture, red carpet, pictures with golden frame and a set of high-quality tea.

Meanwhile, the cat was sleeping on the sofa.

"Darling, how was your work today?"

"…..err…it was normal, like usual."

They were playing house, as suggested by the young daughter.

"Are you sure?"

"Eh?"

Suddenly, a killing intent chilled his spine.

"You…."

Sitting across him, the child put on a very unladylike scowl.

"You reek the smell of a thieving cat! Are you cheating on me!?"

…..what kind of setting is this!?

What a mystery, Lux had no idea how the mind of a child such as the young lady before him worked. He didn't have much choice but to play along and adapt accordingly to her creativity.

Time went by fast.

It was dusk already.

He spent nearly half of the day to entertain a young aristocrat lady.

She was so clever in her words that he was completely overwhelmed. It was extremely difficult to prove himself innocent in the role of a cheating husband.

"Ojou-sama, it is time."

A maid came in, interrupted the play.

"Heh? It's over already." As if reserved back to the state of a child, the gentleman's daughter was somewhat disappointed. "I want to play more."

"That is not possible, Lux-sama needs to attend to his personal matter. Moreover, Aruji-sama is waiting for you."

The game finally came to an end.

Lux let out a relieve sigh, he said goodbye and was ready to leave.

"Lux onii-chan, take this with you. It's something I made."

The boy was mildly shocked, it seemed the young daughter had prepared cookies for him. Star, cat, cute looking fish, a variety of shapes were presented inside a tiny bag.

He happily took it and had the first bite.

"….."

"H-How was it?"

The young child asked in nervous.

"Hmm, it was delicious." With a kind smile on his face, Lux bowed at the clever daughter. "Ojou-sama, thank you very much, I will take my leave here."

**Bam!**

His face met the wall after a couple steps. Lux realized he just made a silly mistake as the door was supposed to be on the other side of the room.

"Lux-sama, are you alright!?"

"It's nothing, maid-san. Until next time."

He pushed the large door, which seemed to be strangely lightweight.

"Be careful!" The maid shouted.

Too late.

He felt out the window.

* * *

**Part 2**

It was the weirdest sensation.

He felt dizzy.

He felt hot.

He felt sore all over his body.

For some reason, he couldn't think properly as the world kept on turning upside down. Lux's senses lost track of time ever since he left the mansion of that young lady.

What time was it again?

Lux forcefully dragged himself along the slope leading to the Academy on top the hill. How strange that this happened, he didn't remember eating any poisonous food.

When he finally arrived, strength abandoned his leg. He crumbled down, both hands barely broke the shackle of exhaustion that binding his muscles.

This was the request from Relie Aingram, it was today that he should be seeing her.

He could not leave this until tomorrow, that would be disrespectful.

He needed to see her.

He needed to see that girl.

Tightly holding the poles of the main gate, he stood up and called. Until he saw a silhouette on the other side of the gate, the boy took a deep breath.

And as soon as he relaxed, everything abruptly went dark.

* * *

**Part 3**

"Eh? Who is this? And what's a cat doing here?"

[….]

"Oh, oh! He has such a pretty cute face when you take a closer look."

[…]

"Wha…..so many scars!"

[….]

"He looks similar to someone. Hm? That black collar, could it be-!?"

[….]

"At the meantime, let him rest. We can question him tomorrow once he's awake."

* * *

**Part 4**

"…"

He was staring at a burning castle.

….this place…..once again…..

Inside the vast courtyard, the fallen figures of unnamed Drag-Knights and the Machine Dragons all laid wasted. An awful yet familiar feeling swelled inside his chest as Lux Arcadia recognized the scene from the past.

This was a dream.

He stood beside a well, and the boy was clueless as to why this location would be where he started.

Looking at the lifeless bodies around him, the boy closed his eyes.

It was during the coup five years ago.

The fall of the Old Arcadia Empire.

This rebellion happened because he believed in a greater good. In the aftermath, the world would wait for a new change.

But here, by standing here, his heart ached, filled by remorse. Casualties and wars are the two things you can never separate.

Lux traced a path stretched through the war made graveyard. At the gate which led into the Royal Palace, he tried to open it.

However, it won't flinch.

Above the castle, the piercing cries of multiple dragons were no match against a single beast.

A jet-black Drag-Ride roamed the entire heaven, leaving nothing but destruction in its path. Thousand sparks exploded across the sky.

The Arcadia Empire was on the edge of losing, this should have been the finale of the revolution.

The end was near.

Still, he felt strange.

Almost as if something was missing, the curtain never pulled out to close the stage.

Such thought ran in the back of his mind.

"_Dear little brother."_

Lux immediately shot a gaze over his shoulder.

The flame no longer burned, the bloody red courtyard changed its appearance as green grass overflowed, replacing the depressing sight of the battlefield.

Much to his surprise, the sky turned blue, as if the coup never happened.

A distance away, he saw a silver haired young man standing with his back leaning against the pillar.

"!?"

With a hand ready at the handle of the black Sword Device, Lux rushed straight toward that man.

"_Why is the long face? Even though you didn't often come to the imperial capital, the last time was a few months ago, wasn't it?"_

The sharp blade instantly stopped next to the man's neck when Lux realized what he was saying.

"_Fugil Nii-san…"_

Lux turned to the source of the voice, both eyes widened.

Another Lux was there, lying on the grass and staring at the sky with a thoughtful gaze. That identical Lux appeared younger than the current him, and he was still following the royal dress code with imperial family's mantle.

"_Are you wondering about something?"_

**Fugil Arcadia**, the First Princeof the Old Arcadia Empire, gave him a warm smile. He was Lux Acadia's eldest brother born of a different mother.

…..ah…..this is…

This was six years ago.

One year before the coup d'état, he visited the Imperial Capital. At a mansion outside the Royal Palace, this was where the conversation took place.

Around this time, Lux Arcadia, who was known as the seventh prince, had been expelled from the court.

The young Lux sat up, starting back at Fugil, his eyes was cold and stiff, nearly emotionless. Strangely, a tiny smile managed to form on that expression.

"_Was I wrong?"_

"_No, you did well."_

Having the Honor of being the youngest in the Empire history to have obtained the license of Drag-Knight, Lux obtained the opportunity of being invited into the Imperial Court. He used that chance to report the current state of citizens who lived inside the shadow of the Empire to the Emperor.

"_Brilliant."_ Fugil said_. "It was hardly thinkable of someone who just turned twelve."_

The Reinforcement law of the system of androcracy.

The heavy taxation due to military expansion.

Human experimentation of powerful drugs using poor citizens.

The Old Arcadia Empire was filled depravity, corruption and tyranny.

Lux Arcadia had carried out the statement of wanting his Majesty to cancel all of that.

"_I tried to tell him everything about my wish."_

But.

"_But his majesty didn't even take the trouble to hear about it."_ The young Lux's gaze fell on the surface of the water pond.

"_You doubt is justifiable, this Empire has completely headed to the wrong direction."_

And it won't stop, no one has ever tried to stop the gear from reserving the routine.

"_People of lineages that hold authority, other chief vassals and feudal lords…..none of them." _

The young prince rested his head on his knee, his tone was not filled with resentment nor hatred toward the Empire, only disappointment.

Lux's greatest chance lost outside his grasp.

"_It seems to have been decided that your little sister will also be sent to a remote region in two months. Poor child, even though she is still bedridden due to illness after losing her mother in that incident…"_

"…"

At Fugil's words, young Lux tightened his grip on the arm. His current self just looked on.

"_I wonder whether it was to boost the morale of the army of frontier guards as well as for a diplomatic purpose. His Majesty's way of doing things is blunt. Once you oppose him, he will show no mercy even to his relatives." _

"_Fugil Nii-san, what do you think?"_

The First Prince pondered, placing a hand to his chin as he turned to the blue sky. The past and the present waited, although the latter didn't look forward to what had already transpired.

"_You're right."_

As the only man who stood above others, the Emperor was someone who never took the populace's life into consideration nor did he paid attention to correct injustice. He was the kind of individual who never went as far as to cast away the profits he received and the position in order to save the Kingdom.

"_This Empire…..it can't be changed anymore. The world doesn't change. As long as the army monopolizes the Drag-Ride, revolt will only be the final coating of tragedy."_

The young Lux only nodded slightly to Fugil's words.

There were many resistances, they had heard about them.

Even massive slaughters and genocides that occurred in secret, the explanation they could give to the terrifying people of the Kingdom was the appearance of multiple **Abyss** from the nearby Ruins.

"_There's nothing we can do now." _Fugil sighed in resignation.

"_No, I don't think so. Fugil Nii-san."_

"_?"_

Young Lux interrupted Fugil with a smile, shadow of his bang covered the eyes.

"_Because the Empire and the world don't change, there is something I want to discuss with you."_

Fugil could not determine the meaning behind that smile. Nevertheless, the young prince's tone was filled with confidence and ambition.

"_Will you hear me out? It is the only reason I came to the Imperial Capital today."_

With a resolve, the past Lux revealed the answer resided deep within him.

This World.

This Kingdom.

This corrupted Empire.

"_**It needs to change."**_

"**It shouldn't have existed."**

The present Lux muttered an indifferent answer to his own.

The sight slowly turned dark as it faded.

"_Little brother, you truly have a good heart."_

Lux Arcadia walked away in the darkness, away from the dream and the voice that haunted his soul for life.

* * *

**Part 5**

Lux opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

The boy sat up, dim lambs on the wall shined the place for him to look around. The place didn't look like the barn and the abandoned building he used to take shelter. The bed he laid on was cozy and warm, the tender softness was comfortable enough to give his mind the idea of lying down again.

A curtain covered the area around his bed.

…..what is this place?

Lux checked his attire, the gloves, the belt and the black jacket he often wears were gone. The scars were showed in the open and his sword devices were nowhere to be founded.

He didn't remember what happen after he arrived at the main gate of the Academy, at least the headache won't bother him now that he had a good rest.

Although…..

….I missed the request, didn't I?

It couldn't be helped, he thought.

Pulling the curtain out of the way, his eyes slightly widened at the amount of beds in the room. They were empty. Other than Lux himself, no one was around.

This place resembled to an infirmary.

Outside the window, it was almost dawn. He could make out a tiny glimpse of light at the further region above the horizon, the Sun was coming up.

Lux found his personal belongings along with the two Sword Devices of his possession lied on a table nearby.

The black sword was fully exposed without anything to cover.

Lux quietly gulped.

That meant someone has spent the time to examine it. The realization earned him a drop of cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

Quickly equipping the swords and left the room, Lux found himself in a big hallway. Staring at the high-quality furniture and decorations, now he knew.

He was inside the Royal Officer Academy.

"It has been a while, Lux Arcadia-kun."

"!?"

A feminine voice jolted him in the darkness. As Lux turned around, a woman with a beautiful young look smiled at him. The candle she was holding gave him a clear view of her appearance.

It was the principal, Relie Aingram.

"I received words from the students, they said a late visitor came here yesterday."

"Y-Yes, I'm sorry for being late."

His first respond was a deep bow, followed by an apology.

"Apology accepted~."

"Nyaa~!"

To Lux's surprise, the little kitty appeared next to Relie's feet and jumped at him. He carefully caught the former mischievous thief. As it already made itself comfortable in his embrace, the cat purred and rubbed its head on the shirt in a cute manner.

There was a collar placed on its neck, a tiny yellow bell resonated gently every time the kitty moved.

"The little one really attaches to you, you know. The girls tried many things to lead it out of the infirmary and looked after him. It was waiting for you outside the building until I opened the door. Because it is a stray cat, proper vaccination is required since it might carry diseases. We're lucky to have a Drag-Knight student, who's knowledgeable in veterinary medicine. Otherwise it would affect your recovery if being too close."

Lux has a dried smile on his face, he didn't know how to say to that. It was the smallest detail he never thought of.

"Eh? Hang on, recovery?"

The boy questioned the word in clueless, and the principal nodded her head.

"Indeed, you had a short-term fever yesterday and you appeared very pale, too. Our doctor diagnosed that it was due to poisonous food."

"Ehhhhhhhhh!?"

An idea immediately popped up in Lux's mind.

…..the cookie!?

Head dropped in defeat, Lux made a mental note to himself to be more cautious around anything cook by that ojou-sama. Who would have thought all that agony yesterday was due to a single cookie.

Won't this mean he already cause trouble to the students?

"Don't worry, only a few were here last night."

Before Lux took notice, Relie already made her way to him. The woman was taller than him a few inches in her high heels, her gaze dwelled straight into his abnormal cold eyes.

"Poor child, you still have it roughed even after you've already returned from the Kingdom."

Her free hand touched his hair, mildly rubbed his head like a sister taking care of her little brother. The sweet lightness of affection from Relie caused Lux's heart to beat faster.

"R-Relie-san." The boy stuttered. "You're too close."

"Fufu, you remember how to address me the way I prefer you to." She smiled kindly. "I'm delighted."

…..this person…..

If there was something he knew well about the headmistress of this Academy, it would be her carefree and teasing nature.

"Relie-san."

"Yes?"

"Do you usually wake up at this hour? The sun is not even rising yet."

"True, lack of sleep is bad for a woman's health, I do not favor to be here this early." The woman sighed as she placed a hand to her cheek, caressing the beautiful smooth skin. "But I have to do this because of a certain someone who was late for the appointment."

Lux felt like an arrow just pierced him in the head, it was because of his condition yesterday that she came here at this time to visit him.

As if knowing what the boy was thinking, Relie came up with a reason.

"However, sometime as an adult, I need to handle the paperwork, especially when the anniversary is coming near. I am this school headmaster after all, it is a heavy responsibility." She pointed at him. "And you have it too, the responsibility to do all kind of works. Lux Arcadia, jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one."

"Ahahaha….." Lux tried to force a laugh.

Those words might have been an overestimate statement to him.

"I truly meant it, you have talents. Most important of all, you are a quick learner." She giggled, beaming a pleasant expression at the boy. "It is one of the reasons why I pick you for my request."

"Thank you, Relie-san." Lux returned the same face. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for your kindness."

"Oh dear, is that so~? If you put it that way, maybe I should let you call me Relie onee-chan. That's right! Let's become a family together!"

Once again, the headmistress applied her teasing in a sing song tone. Lux sweat dropped at her, this woman would use every opportunity to poke fun at him.

"Relie-san, you do aware that I'm still wearing this collar, right?" Lux touched the choker on his neck. "As the Kingdom's property, I don't have any right to get into relationship with anyone….and, the debt…"

"Your debt is only one fifth of the nation wealth, isn't it? There's no need to worry about that, let onee-chan pay it for you and Airi-chan. It's only a small sum, the power of money will push you through any hardship."

"….."

How did you become the headmistress of a prestigious academy? Lux wanted to retort like that. But he decided to swallow these words in his throat.

…..why do I have the feeling she really means it?

"Reject."

"Guh!"

Of course, that should be the correct choice.

Relie, who was slightly downhearted for some reason, regained her composure in a second and they went back to the matter at hand.

"Well, Lux-kun, now that you're here and back on your feet. Let us have a thorough discussion in my office."

* * *

**Part 6**

More than ten years has passed since the discovery of Drag-Ride from the Ruins.

It is said that the existence of these weapons known as Machine Dragon was a topic of long contention in each nation.

During performance, both the Drag-Ride and the Sword Device were used as a pair. By pulling out the Sword Device from the scabbard and pushing a button in the grip, one could transfer –– summon –– the matching Machine Dragon.

With weapons other than Drag-Rides, such a thing was practically impossible. This made Drag-Rides appear as an extraordinary technology for multiple purposes in military.

Thanks to the **Mithril Dite**, a mysterious metal which turned into light and enabled the metastasis of the space, and the **Force Core**, a nuclear stone which was the source of power of the Machine Dragon. The Drag-Ride was one of a kind to possess such feature alone.

To this day, the structure of the summon itself has yet to be clarified.

"…..phew…"

With a towel on her shoulder, Airi Arcadia let out her voice in satisfaction.

Wiping her moist hair and heated skin after a morning bath, the former imperial princess looked over the manuscripts on her desk.

Those were the records and latest information about Drag-Ride origin, including ancient documents about Ruins and the Abyss.

Overall, the content of most of them has yet to be deciphered, the world came as far as to learn only that much info from what they can excavated from the Ruins.

Everything about Drag-Ride, Abyss and the Ruins were hardly well-documented.

Due to certain circumstances, the investigation of the Ruins themselves was not progressing any further.

However, the competition on researching the structure and the fundamental system of these mechanical armor was widely carried out on every nation.

Airi cleared up the desk, her concern didn't seem to direct at the information.

Not long after the shocking discovery, Drag-Ride usage had been belonged to men. Women was prohibited to share the right due to the trend and the system of androcracy that the Old Empire laid.

But with the coup d'état five years ago, that perception completely changed after the New Kingdom establishment.

According to the data report, the compatibility aptitude of the airframe control of women was far above men. Thereafter, they established a special training organization, and concentrated their efforts on that upbringing in order to prepare Drag-Knight officers, who won't lose to other countries.

The young silver haired girl herself has a very high compatibility aptitude level, it was a blessing.

At this moment, she has the potential that could rival even her brother when he first received the Drag-Knight license at the age of twelve.

Unfortunately….

"…..it's a pity…" Airi slightly muttered in a depressing tone.

"Good morning, Airi."

Noct, Airi's roommate in the dormitory, stretched her body as she just woke up on top the bunk bed.

"Good morning, Noct."

The girl returned her greeting, her vision still glued to the manuscripts on the desk. After clearing out for space, she placed a wooden box in between the gap.

Inside, there were letters grouped together by a yarn. Airi put another one inside and closed it.

They were all written by the same person.

"Is that a new letter from your brother?"

"No, this was sent to me some days ago. Nii-san must have done it right before he came back to Cross Field."

There wasn't much commission she was required to do, so Airi was able to rest early.

Yesterday was the day she should have been able to see Lux, yet he did not come for the appointment. Airi pouted, feeling a little bit irritating the more she thought about it.

"By the way."

"?"

Airi turned to Noct who spoke in a calm voice.

"During the evening yesterday, a person came to our Academy."

The girl recalled seeing her friend went out when it was already past curfew. Apparently, something occurred within the school ground, she knew that much before going to bed.

"Who would visit this place at such a time?"

"That person's appearance resembles you."

Airi froze.

"Short silver hair, grey eyes, having a feminine face despite being a boy." Noct continued the description. "There is also a black collar on his neck and two Sword Devices which he carries."

"Nii-san!?"

"Yes. That description fits your brother from head to toe."

She stared at her friend in disbelief.

"Why did Nii-san-!?" Airi shook her head and pushed on. "Noct, do you know where he is now!?"

"At the moment, he should be resting in the infirmary."

Shocked, her mind started racing hearing the last part.

…what exactly happened yesterday!?

"We found your brother collapsed at the main entrance and took him in. At the time, he was suffering from a short-term fever, the doctor said his condition will improve as soon as he rests and gave him medicine." Noct climbed down her bed and proceeded to the closet with the same stoic expression. "It was quite difficult to help him drink the medicine while he is unconscious though, and there was the thing about wiping sweat on his body."

"….."

At the quiet respond, Noct looked at her roommate. The skin of Airi's face somehow turned ghastly pale.

The sister quickly changed her clothes into the Academy uniform and headed out.

* * *

**Part 7**

When she first came to the nurse office to check on that person, the bed which he lied down to rest was empty.

The boy was already gone along with his personal belongings.

Clueless, she asked for his whereabout and the answer she received was a shaking head motion from the nurse.

Krulcifer took a moment to ponder, a hand supported her chin as she gathered her memories about what the boy said at the gate yesterday.

The door swung open, arrived the figure of Airi Arcadia who repeatedly gasped for air. Her leg shook as they nearly gave out, she was running without a stop.

"Oh, another visitor came early today." Sitting on the chair, the nurse voiced her surprise.

On the other hand, the blue haired girl just looked while the corner of her lip formed a mysterious smile. It was never that hard to connect the dots.

"…..I…..Nii-san-"

"He is not here, your brother has gone elsewhere." Krulcifer spoke before the out of breath Airi could finished her words.

"Ah, you're here for the boy, too? Well, don't worry, if he can leave this room, that means he is already recovered." The nurse added.

The girl held her chest and took a deep breath. Airi seemed very urgent, but hearing it eased the worrying look on her small face.

Based on the features of the Arcadias, Airi and that boy was pretty much identical in appearance with the same hair color and the black collar, the very symbol of the treatment this Kingdom offered to them.

"Then, excuse me."

As Airi was about to close the way, Krulcifer raised an arm and gave her a stop sign.

If the younger sister ran all the way here to see that boy and she didn't question further after having found him disappeared, it would confirm her guess.

Last night won't be the last time she saw him.

"I shall take my leave here, thank you." Krulcifer turned to the exit and walked out.

When that door frame closed shut, the honor exchange student who posed no flaw at all shifted her face closer to Airi.

"That person is in the headmaster office, isn't he?"

"!?"

She was shocked. Jack-pot!

"Airi-chan, if we have some time together by chances, I hope you don't mind telling me more about that child."

"W-What business could you possibly have with my Nii-san, Krulcifer-senpai?" She asked back, her tone was somewhat nervous.

Like always, she was quite perceptive.

The younger sister saw through her intention in such a short period. They knew each other through some occasions when Krulcifer assisted Airi with her commissions.

"Let see, right now I don't expect myself to require anything from your brother. If I have to state it correctly, it is only a mere harmless observation from afar for my personal consideration."

"Why is that?"

At the question that dig deeper into her motive, Krulcifer's smile reappeared with an intent. She took a step into Airi's private space, her lip slowly drifted closer to the girl's ear.

In general, Lux Arcadia and Krulcifer Einfolk was unknown to each other as they never met or had a conversation. They were never related by anything.

The reason?

It would be another story for another time.

For now, to put it simply.

"**Your brother's existence has stroked my curiosity."**

Krulcifer whispered like that to Airi, the latter hardly managed to keep her troubled emotion in check.

***Doong***

From the clock tower, the big bell rang.

Turning her heel in an elegant fashion, Krulcifer bid farewell to Airi. The young girl couldn't help but feel like her brother would be dragged into another unforeseen event in the future.

…..ah….

Speaking about her brother, didn't she just say "my Nii-san" in front of Krulcifer?

Airi covered her face as her cheek reddened, she really hoped the noble girl from a foreign country didn't pay attention to those words.

Even though she hasn't seen him for a long time, knowing that they will meet again already made her silly like this.

…..it's Nii-san's fault I've become like this!

She knew too well that was not the case and the girl quietly returned to her class.

Shortly after, the first morning lesson started.

* * *

**Part 8**

At both sides of the work desk, bundles of sheet were neatly placed.

While Lux listened to the echoed of the ringing bell, the little kitty once again made itself comfortable on the sofa.

Holding a feather pen, the headmistress Relie wrote something on some blank pages and passed it to him.

"To sum up the topic we have discussed, that is my request to you."

Lux read the content, it was a detail description of his works within the vicinity of the Royal Officer Academy.

The request was to maintenance Drag-Rides in the New Kingdom fourth Machine Dragon hangar located in the premise of the Academy.

"Umm." The boy scratched his cheek.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"N-No, everything is fine with the job description." Uneasy, he spoke. "But is it really alright for me to work here? I mean this place is an academy for girls."

"It's regrettable, but we lack manpower. From today I will have you go by the hangar three times a week. It's dirty, the work is hard and there is also the danger of injury. I can't give such a job to young ladies from good families, can I? Don't you think that you should also feel honored and privileged to have been born male?"

"…ehhhhh….."

He wanted to say something but couldn't find the right word to describe it.

A Chore Prince who lived the life of a commoner and the diligent ladies who lived a prestigious life. Just as light and darkness, the difference was too obvious. Being in a place he didn't feel like he should belong to could make things harder to handle.

"I see." Relie clasped her hand, she realized a certain fact by observing his reaction. "Even though you have grown up this much, you're still not used to be around so many girls, hm."

"Wh…that….that is irrelevant!"

"Lux-kun, your face is red." Covering her lip, she giggled. "It's understandable for a boy such as your age."

The boy continued to review the content, the second sheet read side quests.

Whenever Lux is available within the Academy, the staff may feel free to request the Chore Prince to perform various tasks from cleaning public path, pruning, fixing broken interior and even serving in the kitchen area of the cafeteria.

A boy cleaning public path in an all-girl school? This might have gone beyond his imagination of a normal request.

"Just so you know, there's lot of cuisines in the cafeteria. We even have dishes from former nations such as **Koto**." Relie in her business mode explained. "Very delicious and one of a kind, you can get to taste it once you have the chance to work in the kitchen."

"Uh no, that's not the point here."

"Well, I heard your culinary skills in the neighborhood is outstanding, moreover, you helped serving in a high-quality hotel before, correct? For that, I can rest assure what you make with additional effort can help our ladies to have a much more satisfying life while they are studying here."

Getting beamed at by the sweet smile of the woman in her blooming age, Lux dropped his head in defeat.

It was no good, he couldn't argue with her.

For a person who was weak with this kind of talk, Lux stood no chance in finding his ground.

Relie Aingram was a unique individual. She was the eldest daughter of the great mercantile house, Aingram Financial Conglomerate, someone who learned the art of conversation.

It had already been years since they met for the first time, nothing about this indifferent, clever and mischievous personality has changed.

"Either way, maintenance Drag-Ride is a perfectly fitting job for you."

Relie continued.

"Most of the users of the Old Empire which monopolized the Drag-Rides for many years have died with the coup d'état. In that case, though reluctant, I can do nothing but regularly invited a male cooperator. Be it a Drag-Ride's mechanic or a Drag-Knight."

"Relie-san, supposed I have no experience with this type of work, there really is no way out for me in this regard?"

"Ufufu~, nope. I know you often lend a hand to a certain mechanic at the hangar outside Fort City as part of your odd jobs." The principal tilted her head to the side in a cute gesture while her chin rested on the back of her hands. "You don't like it? You should know that I'm not forcing it on you or anything."

"It's not…..like that…"

"Then I'll be counting on you from now on."

….she's incredibly pushy this time.

Unlike the usual antics, it appeared forceful. Lux couldn't help but felt a weird tingle in his stomach and sighed inwardly.

"Understood." The boy folded the papers and kept them inside the pocket on his belt.

Relie happily nodded at the respond.

Though, it was not everything the boy wanted to say.

"Relie-san, thank you so much for looking after Airi."

In a manner of showing appreciation to the goodwill of the woman, who helped him and his younger sister, Lux once again bowed his head deeply.

The woman was slightly startled at first, she eventually waved it off.

"That's part of what I do as her headmistress, you don't have to lower your head like that."

Receiving such gratitude from him, she did not feel embarrassed at all. However, it did bring a tinge of red to her cheek.

Relie took another deep breath.

"I'm still thinking about what work to give you as a Drag-Ride user. I will tell you soon, okay?"

"Right."

Request accepted, everything was finally settled.

It was time to get back to work.

Lux checked the note in his pocket, he did promise to help the construction workers at the market today. The request from the woman with good physique has to be postponed because of that.

"Before you leave, you should pay a visit to Airi-chan, that child misses you a lot. She has been eager to see you again. Now is time of the first morning lesson, you can see her in one of the classrooms along the hallway."

"I will do that."

Lux headed for the door, the kitty that was pleasurably enjoying the warmth of the sofa jumped to the floor and went with him.

"Lux-kun."

In a soft voice, Relie called out to the boy when the door opened. Lux didn't turn around, instead he glanced over his shoulder.

"If you have time, feel free to come to my office. Let us have some small talks about the many adventures you've done outside this city together. I heard most of it from Airi-chan and I am very intrigued to learn more through you. Of course, I will have cakes and tea prepared for such occasion."

"…"

"Think of it as an invitation from me. Also…"

Relie continued, she wasn't finished. This was something that boy would need to know.

"Please at least say hi to my little sister, she wants to see you after all these years."

"…eh?"

A sense of reminisce hit Lux, he turned the back of his head to Relie, casting his gaze on the ground. After a moment of silence, he beamed her a thin smile.

"Okay."

Lux walked out the door, and the woman waved him goodbye.

* * *

**Part 9**

Royal Officer Academy was a place where aristocrat girls are gathered, for that, the staff exclusively consisted of women.

To the students, the appearance of a person from the opposite sex would be a rare sight.

It was the time of lesson, the time that future Drag-Knights cadets put in their effort during classes. The hallway became an empty place with the lack of presence.

By nature, human was a curious being. When hearing footsteps resounded nearby, some would take a short moment to glance at the source. Through the window, the girls caught view of a silver haired boy and a kitten on his head passed by.

His feet moved in a fast pace, urgent to reach the next destination that boy has in mind.

"Eh? Who-"

"A boy in this place?"

Whispers broke out among the students, the rare sight that they could hardly find anywhere in an all-girl Academy was right before their eyes.

(Nii-san!)

Airi the little sister startled when the big brother waved at her before disappearing out of her view.

(So that is the big brother she's always fond of speaking about.)

Noct, who was sitting next to Airi, saw the clearest happy smile blooming on the girl's lip.

(Isn't that the boy and the little kitty from yesterday?)

(Oh, that cute-looking boy is already recovered?)

(What's a man doing here? Wait, two Sword Devices!? Is he a Drag-Ride user!?)

Lisesharte, the princess of the New Kingdom, fully shifted her attention from the note to that presence outside the classroom.

(…..….)

Krulcifer observed the boy in silence, her expression was neutral.

That boy slowed down and took a view inside the room.

It was not an act to attract attention toward himself, he simply did that out of the nostalgia warmth swelling in his chest.

As his cheek loosened in relief, his gaze fell on a single girl.

A pink-haired girl who was in a seat on the window side of the classroom.

Her fluffy hair was brought together with two ribbons, which properly suited the girl's absentminded atmosphere. Her prominent chest which greatly pushed up her uniform brought about a mysterious charm to the girl's face where traces of childishness remained.

**Philuffy Aingram**, the little sister of Principal Relie and second daughter of the Aingram Financial Conglomerate.

She was Lux's childhood friend.

She was someone who has an incredibly strong will despite the air around her.

And.

(….Zzzz..)

She was bravely dozing off in the middle of a lecture while her posture kept straight. To only do things at her own pace, Philuffy was the type of person who possessed an amazingly honest personality.

Without any kind of alarm, her eyelids gently moved. As if she has listened to every step coming outside the corridor. The pair of golden eyes reflected the image of a silver haired young boy from the other side of the room.

More than five years, she waited. And that moment finally came.

Lux's mouth opened and closed, he turned away and walked off to the distance. Staying here any longer would interrupt the lesson from the instructor, that soft-hearted boy must have thought it like that.

Philuffy didn't avert her sight, she kept on watching that small built back descending down the hallway.

For a girl who rarely show her emotion, a tiny smile replaced the usual blank expression would have indicated the massive amount of happiness she felt deep within.

He tried to say something to her.

And just as she understood him without the need to spell out the words, the girl replied in a soft tone.

"You, too, Lu-chan. Long time no see."

That small muttered wasn't heard by anyone. Even so, it would eventually reach that boy.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, that's about it for the third chapter.**

**ParkWalker: Thank you! I'm not really sure why this idea suddenly popped up in my mind while I was enjoying the canon story but I'm glad I managed to expand it with general ideas.**

**Epsilion01: Hahaha, thank you! English is my second language so I'll be sure to try to tone down my grammar mistakes in the future.**

**Booksavior69: Thank you! And yes, I like to make the story progress slowly rather than rushing it too quick. This is the pacing I will apply for now.**

**Anyway, the next chapter could be the conclusion to Arc 1 The Chore Prince. This arc was made to introduce Lux and the first heroines but it should give you a sneak peak into the life of the former prince when he doesn't become a student in the Academy. The light novel rarely gives any detail about this fact, after all.**

****Review the chapter if you please, criticism is also greatly appreciate. I will see you in the next note.****


	4. Chapter 4: Unexpected-Request

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.**

* * *

**~Chapter 4~**

**Unexpected_Request**

**Part 1**

"Lux Nii, play with us!"

"….eh?"

Lux stopped chewing on his lunch.

Out of nowhere, a group of children approached him.

"We heard you came back to Cross Field! We want to play with you again!"

"Let's play!"

Some of them insisted.

Although there were new faces that he didn't recognize, Lux knew these children. Through the requests given by some of the families around the neighbors, he was able to make acquaintance with them.

Occasionally, they would invite him to join in any fun game they came up with. Lux would accept the kind offer only when the boy has enough free time to do that.

For sure, he was older than most of them. Yet, the children would never feel bore to get him involved with their usual antics.

He didn't know what led to this situation. One of the parents once told Lux that the kids have grown fond of him, maybe it was due to his nature.

Lux thought about it and he was not very sure with the remark. Instead of taking it into consideration, he would leave it at that. Lux believed he has no right to interpret those words by any unnecessary meaning.

After all, he was a criminal.

"You're not doing any odd job at the moment, right? Come and play with us!"

"Tell us stories about your journey outside Cross Field! What is it like!?"

"….err…it's not really that amazing."

Before those glittering eyes that pleaded him, refusing the invitation might not be an option.

"Lux onii-chan, play!" A very young child tugged on his sleeves.

The silver haired former prince chuckled dryly.

Since today's works consisted of only small requests and no job was given by Relie yet, Lux would have a little bit of time to relax.

Might be as well as to go along with them.

"Alright, what are we going to play?"

Lux agreed to join the group with little break time he has for the day.

…..

…..

They were at a vacant field, Lux left his equipment on top a log while the little kitten rested pleasurably next to the sword devices, acting like a guardian.

A single circle was drawn beforehand to set up the playground.

"Get ready!"

While standing inside a small circle, Lux blinked as the children held up numbers of ball in their grasp.

….are those….temari (hand balls)?

Something didn't seem right.

"Throw!"

"Wait! Wait! Wait!"

As they all threw the balls at him, Lux quickly dodged out the way in panic.

"Ah! Lux Nii went out the circle, you lost!"

"Hang on a second! W-What kind of game is this!?"

"It's throwing ball."

The rule was simple, each person must stay within a certain spot with limited range of movement on each turn. They only have one objective to achieve, to successfully dodge all the waves of ball that coming their way. If they got hit three times, they would lose.

…..why is the nature of the game seems violent to me?

"Couldn't we come up with something appears more…friendly?" Lux raised a suggestion.

"No, we want to play this game."

His words were shot down.

"This is something we just thought of recently, but we don't know how to make it work." The child pointed at him. "That's why we wanted Lux Nii to help us test it out."

….in another word, I'm an experiment!?

Lux glanced at the ball near his feet and picked it up to check, the ball was light as it was nearly weightless.

It was made of old silk fabric wadded up together, inside filled with rice grain and grass. Even if this hit anyone, it wouldn't do them any harm.

With his experiences in working as a craftsman at some of the workshops, he could tell that despite the exterior, the ball was well-made.

"So just to make sure I'm catching up. The rule applied here is that I try not to get hit by the ball three times and win, right? What happens if I catch or touch the ball by hands?"

"If you stop the ball, the hit won't count."

He could give this a try.

The match reset.

Lux went back into the circle and observed.

The children went into their positions on the other side of the lines. For some reason, Lux has a feeling they were struggling a little bit as they held the balls together.

…huh, something fell out…..is that a rock!?

"Throw!"

"WAIIIIIIIIIIT!"

The Chore Prince once again jumped out the way before getting barraged by the incoming balls. Few of them snapped open as it hit the ground, revealing pile of rocks inside.

He managed to escape an instant death.

"Lux Nii broke the rule again, you lost!"

"That was dangerous! What did I ever do wrong to make you all hate me!?"

"What are you talking about Lux onii-chan? We just want to see how the ball will move if we use rock instead of grain and grass."

"Basically, we are trying something new."

Shocked.

Children nowadays, they could be so pure and cruel at the same time without knowing. Lux let out a sigh, he figured it was about time a new rule should be added in.

"No rock, please."

The circle was redrawn, expanding the parameter, giving the silver haired boy a bit more freedom in movement.

"Okay." Lux dusted off his hands. "I'm prepared."

The main objective was to continuously evade the balls. If he was going to play this game to the end with them, it would be a good time to consider this as practice for his reflex.

The first wave, six balls.

They threw everything at him together with all their might, he could clearly predict which direction they were aiming toward him.

Missed.

The second wave, eight balls.

Where did they get so many of those toys, anyway?

"Throw!"

Lux ducked the first projectile and took sidesteps, some of the children have unexpectedly good aim. Still missed though.

The last wave, twelve balls.

Much to his surprise, the group of children circled around him. They tried to make the balls hit him at every direction.

"….…..this is somewhat unfair, don't you think?"

"Because Lux Nii is too good at this, it's like you were cheating."

"We're going to try a different tactic to make sure you not cheat."

How rude!

"But don't worry. To make this fair, we will throw one at a time just so Lux onii-chan can prepare."

"I'm always prepared." Lux replied with confidence.

"LOCK ON!"

"Woah, I thought you were going to say throw!?"

One ball coming at him, the former prince dodged it in the nick of time.

That was a surprise attack.

"Keep it up! Don't let him win!"

They were very aggressive at trying to achieve victory.

Lux's feet rapidly spun, turning around and avoided the next ball. If it came to this, he could use a different strategy to fence off all the incoming projectiles while lowering the chance to get hit.

The third ball was thrown, Lux quickly caught it with his hand and turned the table. While not letting anything touch him, he hit the remaining balls using the one he held on, changing their trajectories midway.

It was a combat style devoted to defense.

The match was over.

All the effort to give Lux three hits went up in smoke once he caught the last ball with the other free hand.

"I didn't get hit. This means I'm the winner, right?" Lux asked.

He received no respond from the children. The boy sweat dropped as they all stared at him with half-opened eyes and sulked.

"Lux Nii is unfair! Let's play hide and seek this time!"

"Eh?"

"Right, who want Lux Nii-chan to be it? Raise your hand!"

"Ehhhhhhhh!?"

All arms threw up in the sky except for the oldest one, Lux himself.

What about the whole trying something new and experimenting for the game!?

"Run, guys! He is going to count to 100!"

The entire group spread out and disappeared, leaving Lux alone in the vacant field. He could not understand what their intention was.

Not at all.

Now, he wondered.

Did they just straight up bully him because he is the oldest one here?

….and they said children like me.

Lux recalled one of the parents told him like that, now he has even more doubt to those words.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Lux faced the tree and closed his eyes. The kitty let out a yawn and cuddled itself under the sunlight as its owner began counting.

"….1….2…..3….."

* * *

**Part 2**

"I'll make sure Lux Nii is going to struggle really hard today." One of the young kids snickered. "Last time he found us so easily."

"Yes, this time he will definitely lose." Another kid agreed.

"Saw you, behind the bush!"

The two jolted as Lux's voice echoed from below, the person who played as it just discovered another hider. The one who recently got found walked out the thick bush with a confused look.

"Onii-chan, how did you know I was there?"

"There're traces of broken branches around the spot, I figured you tried to hide by climbing on the tree but couldn't. You went inside the bush instead." Lux smiled as he explained. "And turns out I was corrected."

Once the Chore Prince finished scanning around, he left the place.

"Kukuku, no matter how sharp you are, Lux Nii, you won't be able to find out my secret hideout." The child said after a sigh of relief.

"You were really nervous just now, weren't you?"

"I'm not!"

"Either way, Lux Nii-san is very near here. How long do you think we can continue to hide like this until he finds out?"

"This log cabin is the perfect hiding place! It's a secret hideout and it's built by my dad! There's no way he can find us."

Among the group, one child was born from a family with a long tradition of carpentry. The father, who was a carpenter, helped his child to build a small cabin on top the three. In addition to the sturdy structure, camouflage was added to make it have the appearance which you can describe with the word secret.

Not just located at a deserted place, outside, it was painted the same color of leaves and tree branches.

With all the combining factors, the cabin became a hideout for some of the children to occasionally come and play without waring of disturbances.

"You're right, this place looks really nice." Another voice chimed in. "No wonder the structure pattern appears familiar to me."

"I know, right!" His father's work just got praised, the child turned around with proud.

Their mouths dropped open.

It was Lux, he was smiling at them as he sat on the branch outside.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Not again!"

There was another important detail involved the father's line of work. Unless the child forgot, Lux Arcadia used to be the apprentice of his father.

…

…

"Ne, Lux Nii."

"?"

Once they returned to the original spot, the kid pulled on Lux's shirt, trying to get his attention.

"Do you plan on working with my dad again?"

"Ah, about that. It depends on whether or not your father requests me to help him with the job."

"Does that mean you officially quit being his apprentice?"

Taken aback a little at the sudden question, Lux scratched his cheek as to wonder why the young boy would ask him such thing.

"It's not exactly like I'm quitting or anything, I have various other jobs to do as the Chore Prince."

"Is that why you suddenly leave without a word at that time?"

Lux halted his steps, looking back at the boy with both eyes widened.

"You left Cross Field without saying anything to us. Because Lux Nii is always working hard day and night, we were worried when you stopped showing up."

Hearing that, the former prince chuckled.

"A very important request was given to me, I had to keep myself busy to carry it out at that time. That's why I wasn't able to at least say hi to you all." He gently patted on that tiny head. "I'm sorry for making everyone worried about me for nothing."

The child returned a smile and moved on the path as Lux followed behind. For some reason, his mind was ringing with those previous words.

Sometime, someone's kindness would sooth your feeling. As much as it came from an innocent, pure child, it surely put him at ease.

But…

At the same time, seeing to it that such kindness was directed toward a criminal like him, Lux felt indifferent.

…...it's….kind of hurt….

*Rustle*

Strange rustling noise reached his ears, Lux turned to the bushes at the side of the road. There were brief movements along the trees.

He went to check.

"Eh?"

It was a young boy, who seemed to be in the same age as the group of children he was playing with. He hid himself behind the bushes.

He missed one.

…..and here I thought that I has already caught them all.

"Found you." He said. "You will be the next it, okay?"

The young boy narrowed his eyebrows, almost glared at Lux. The discomfort lied within those eyes surprised the Chore Prince.

"….ah…w-wait…."

Without a single word, the young boy stood up and left, completely ignoring his calling. Lux only noticed an object the boy held onto in his arms.

It was another temari, the one with very decorative and detailed appearance. The feature it possessed was clearly distinctive from the rest.

"**Riku**, he actually came here." The son of the carpenter spoke.

"What?"

"That is Riku, we used to play together. Recently, he just plays alone by himself, never spoken a word to anyone."

"Did you fight?"

"No, we haven't done anything and so is Riku."

"I see."

Lux felt relieved, he almost believed that previous behavior was due to him accidentally offended the boy in some way.

Shortly after, he parted way with the kids.

Lux's break time was over.

* * *

**Part 3**

"This is the last one." Lux held his breath.

The strong smell of wine tickled his nostril as he pushed a large wood barrel inside the empty gap of the cellar.

"I've already put some goods in this box, you just need to deliver it to a certain liquor store in the first district. Also, please accept this as payment. You did a great job today, Lux."

"Thank you very much."

The Chore Prince humbly replied while he bowed his head and received a small pocket filled with coins.

"Send my regard to Mr. Wayne as well, tell him that it has been a pleasure to work with him."

"Will do!"

Leaving the busy winery, Lux crossed out another request on his note and headed to the next destination. The Sun had set some time ago, only stars remained on the darkened sky and many streets lighted up by lambs.

His shadow ran across the road, it stopped midway once Lux saw a familiar face among the crowd.

…Riku?

The young boy he met earlier stood in a dark corner of the street, quietly staring into the distance. As Lux traced the kid's line of sight, he noticed a nobleman from afar.

Riku was observing that man, who was taking a stroll down the street.

Something was not right.

…..

…..

That boy began to move, he blended into the crowd and approached the nobleman from behind.

A hand steadily reached into the man's pocket and immediately retracted, dipping into his own. The boy turned around and ran before the victim took notice of what went missing from his possession.

Perhaps he was nervous, scared that he would be caught immediately if someone found out what he has done, Riku increased the pace in hurry while he looked behind for caution without paying attention to what lied ahead.

For that carelessness, he bumped into someone. The young boy stumbled and fell, but he quickly stood up and continued to run.

Riku only stopped when he reached a safe place inside an alleyway, completely disconnecting himself from the lively atmosphere of the district.

The young boy gasped rapidly, nearly out of breath. He couldn't believe that he just committed the act of stealing.

…it's fine…..it will be fine….

His hand went inside the pocket to get the valuable thing out.

"With this, I can finally….huh?"

Empty.

The pockets on his pant were empty, there was nothing inside.

"Eh? W-What? How come!?"

"Nyaa~!"

"Uwahh!"

Startled by the sudden appearance of a little kitty, Riku became more and more confused.

"What you're looking for has already been returned to the rightful owner."

"You!?"

The boy glared at the source of the voice, he recognized that person. It was Lux Arcadia.

He was the one the boy bumped into and fell. The wallet of that nobleman must have been taken from him in that very short moment.

"W-What do you want?" Riku backed away, the young boy clearly showed his intention of not giving in to the Chore Prince.

"You're Riku, right? Why did you steal?"

"…."

Silence came after the question.

"Listen, I'm not going to take you to the guards or do anything. I just want to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you." Riku scowled. "Leave me alone or I'll tell everyone you're bullying me."

Not caring of anything else, the young child went past Lux and disappeared once he reached the street.

The silver hair former prince walked out the alleyway and looked at the crowd, what happened stuck in his mind.

* * *

**Part 4**

Stealing might not have been the most serious crime, it was not something they would call trivial either. It was a part of many things which defined a person's morality.

Someone who steals from others would become a criminal like him. And yet, he witnessed a very young child did it without much hesitation.

Why would a young boy such as Riku do such a thing?

It truly bothered him.

"I'm concerned."

"Nya~."

"I know, you also feel concerned for that child." Lux replied to the little kitty on top his hair.

Carrying a bag filled with letters, Lux moved around Cross Field in the early morning. He was given a list of addresses, his first request for today was to add the post office in sending mails to the people around the city.

Based on that, Lux organized a routine to make this quick before the next job.

"This address is…..right here?"

He carefully read the note and the address plate made of wood hanging on the side of the wall. He arrived at a house located near the outskirt of Fort City.

Three knocks on the door.

As it opened, the Chore Prince was greeted by a tall, strong built man. Lux has to bend his neck to look at the face of the person, this nostalgia feeling reminded him of how small he was.

"Ahh, if this isn't my former apprentice?" The carpenter was surprised to see him. "My son told me you came back to Cross Field not just recently."

"Yes, it has been a while. I've come to deliver this letter to you."

Instead of taking the letter, he gave Lux a big hug. His feet lifted off the ground due to the difference in heights. In term of strength, Lux was rendered powerless against the hug.

He couldn't move until the carpenter placed him back down.

"I'm sure that you have one or two stories to share about the journey outside this city, eh. It must have been a great experience."

"I-It's not really that great, actually." Lux chuckled lightly, scratching the back his head.

While they were talking, a small figure came running to the side of the carpenter.

"Lux Nii!"

It was one of the children, who invited him to play with yesterday.

…..

…..

"Eh? You ask me if I know something about Riku's condition?"

The son of the carpenter walked down the street alongside Lux, he accompanied the Chore Prince out of fun. As Lux gave him a nod to confirm the question, the child looked at the sky with both arms threw behind his head, thinking.

"I honestly don't know that much about him, all I know is Riku used to be very talkative, a cheerful person. He has a mother. When we used to play together, he always talks about her a lot. He doesn't mention anything about his father, though."

"Do you know when Riku began to act like yesterday?"

"Some time ago, before you return, Lux Nii. Riku suddenly became quiet and didn't say anything. He looks really sad for some reason." The child said. "We tried everything to cheer him up and make him smile, nothing worked. Then, Riku began to distance himself from everyone, as if he was trying to avoid all of us. We stopped playing together ever since."

They reached another location on the list, Lux delivered a letter to the owner of the residence and left. The story continued.

"This toy right here." The child addressed the ball he was holding. "It was thanks to Riku."

"?"

"He gave these to us as gifts, he gave all to everyone in the group."

"That child is very kind, huh."

"Yes, he is."

That made no sense.

Compared to the attitude and the action Lux saw yesterday, the child's words toward Riku were completely opposite.

"Lux Nii, why do you want to know about Riku? Did something happen?"

"….no, nothing happened." Lux smiled.

"Please don't hate him, he is not always like that."

At the very least, it was still too soon to say anything.

"I won't, curiosity just got the better of me."

The most important part, he wouldn't want to cause a crack in their friendships. That child was not a bad person, Lux only needed to know that much.

"That is not everything." The son of the carpenter suddenly added. "Lux Nii, maybe it won't be of much help, but I think you should know about this."

"?"

"We went asking around, we heard a rumor."

….rumor?

"They said something happened to Riku's family, maybe that is why he changed. Because he won't talk, we really don't know what to do….we…."

The child halted his words, causing Lux to turn to him only to see the child staring directly at his face. Something started to form in that pure mind, his eyes glittered like stars when all the pieces came into place.

"That's it! I have an idea!" He came up with an idea, and he seemed happy because of that. "Lux Nii, you are the Chore Prince! You will accept every request from the people, right!?"

"W-Well, you can put it like that."

That sudden energetic overwhelmed him for a second.

"Although it is still depended, I'm not doing entirely every-"

"I have a request!" The child interrupted his words and made an unexpected request. "Please help Riku smile again!"

"Ehhhhhhhh!?"

"Let see how much money I have." The child brought out several coins from his pocket. "Ah, I only have 2 bronze and 1 silver coin. This is not enough."

"W-Wait! This is totally different from what I've been doing so far! Handling the chores and solving human's problems are not one and the same!"

The son of the carpenter did not listen, he searched himself to find something valuable that can be used as payment.

"Alright, Lux Nii can have this."

"…."

The kid stretched his arms toward Lux, holding out the ball constructed from the remnants of old clothes.

"Please accept this as my payment. It's not much but I'm sure you can make something out of it with your experiences."

Lux wasn't sure of what to do, this was the first time a child expressed such intention to him.

"Riku is our friend, we want to help him. But he constantly rejects our effort, our parents are too busy to pay attention to a child's problem so you're the only we can turn to for help."

"I'm not that capable, you know."

"If it is Lux Nii, I'm sure you can pull it off!" The young child gave him a thumb up. "You are the Chore Prince after all. You can do anything!"

"Really now, what do you think the Chore Prince is?" Lux chuckled in awkward.

The child continued to look at him, an expression revealed the determination mixed with pleading. He held the ball closer to Lux.

Those eyes, Lux recognized them so well he couldn't ignore. The kid would do everything to help his friend, what a good child.

…I never thought this child would go this far.

Even if he didn't ask Lux for help by giving him a request, the former prince would still do the exact same thing.

After what happened yesterday, he never planned to ignore or leave that lonely child by himself.

Eventually, Lux took the toy.

"Okay, request accepted."

At his words, the kid happily jumped, throwing both arms in the air.

"Riku truly is fortunate to have friends like you."

They both smiled.

…..

…..

Once the last letter in the bag was delivered, Lux came back to the post office to report the result and receive his payment.

Another job was finished and crossed out the list.

When Lux exited the building, alongside the son of the carpenter who kept him company till the end, a group of children was already waited for him right outside.

"Why are you all here?"

Each of them was holding an object, some held a small bag of coins, some held a set of toys and some held a jar which used to contain food or seasons.

There was even a wooden sword for mock battle. It took the shape of a katana, a weapon Lux recognized, which originated from the culture of a certain fallen kingdom.

They approached Lux, all held out the object they brought with them.

"Lux onii-chan, here is our payment for the request."

"Eh?"

"This is the newest toy my dad bought, please take care of it for me."

"…err…."

"My mom made this vinegar jar, please accept it."

The boy was left no chance to grasp what was happening. It came to the point where the lively atmosphere attracted people's attention on the streets.

"Guys, slow down, I'm clueless here!"

"We heard that you decided to help Riku."

"It's not fair if it's just one of us pay for you, we want to contribute ours, too."

Lux shifted his gaze to the son of the carpenter, what he saw was a big grin on that small face.

"I guess they just want to help Riku as much as I am."

"Everyone doesn't have to go this far for a request."

"No, a ball alone is not enough to pay. My parents said that in business, both sides should accept the deal on equal term. Lux onii-chan should accept something with appropriate value."

"….uh, comparing this to a business deal is a little….."

They continued to insist with fierce persistent.

Lux couldn't help but let out a sigh, he pointed at the wooden weapon.

"Fine, I'll take the sword…..only the sword."

Seriously, children nowadays, they became so clever that a person like him could barely catch up.

"So, how are you going to help Riku?"

"I'm not sure, I need to look into details before I can decide on what to do next. Does anyone here know where he lives?"

Everyone in the group looked at each other for a short moment.

Finally, they gave him an answer.

"He lives in the slum."

It was a fact.

And Lux did not expect that.

* * *

**Part 5**

The slum.

It was the place where most of the poor population of Cross Field settled.

It was where the people, who have bad luck in life and the difficulties in financial they did not deserve, was forced to live.

Not only that, there were rumors about the place. The stories about thugs, criminals and bandits constantly rampaged everywhere inside, causing troubles to the poor people.

Naturally, the slum became a place filled with bad reputations and dangers. Only when things were taking too far, the authorities would intervene.

The New Kingdom of Atismata was just like any other country. Despite the downfall of the Old Empire and things have changed for the better, the dark side of a prosper kingdom would always reside somewhere behind the bright appearance outside.

Lux has finished most of his tasks for the day.

At the moment, he stared at the newly built wall that separate the poor district from the rest of Cross Field inhabitants.

Guards were assigned to watch over a few numbers of gates which led inside the slum.

Due to the dangerous nature of the place, not many people would venture near the area. Security performance around the wall was placed at the minimum level, yet strict.

In case something serious occurred such as riots or fire, the watchmen would be there to observe the situation and condition of the slum.

Lux shifted his view to the watchtower next to the gate.

Since the new system considered nobles and the upper classes as priorities, precaution would always be applied to this part of Cross Field.

In some way, this was a harsh treatment to those who couldn't help but reside at the bottom of society hierarchy.

The boy shook his head to clear the mind, those thoughts were needless.

…it's not like thinking about it would solve anything.

Lux fixed the old ivy cap he was wearing, it was used to hide the color of his hair. The little kitten didn't seem to like this idea, it would rather feel the softness of his hair than lying on top a hat.

It couldn't be helped.

Precaution was necessary.

…

…

"Halt! Show me your identification."

One of the guards raised his caution and stopped Lux on track, one hand already went to the sword on his waist.

Taking out a card from the pocket on his belt, he showed it to the guard.

The Drag-Knight license, an achievement he earned at the age of twelve.

"Would you look at this, the Chore Prince actually came back to Cross Field as they said."

"Pff!"

Lux blinked, mildly shocked as the guards snickered, not even spending the effort to hide their ill-behavior.

"What business do you have at this part of the city?"

He gave Lux back the card – no, rather than give, the right word would be toss. His aim was high, purely intentional.

Lux caught the card before it hit the kitten on top his head. The kitty growled, as if realizing the ill-intent from the human guard.

"It's a request."

"Oh really? And here I thought the slum is home to the Arcadias, that's too bad."

"You should come here more often. Who knows, maybe you will like the place and decide to live here for real, the life behind this gate is just as dirty and rotten as your corrupted Empire."

"…"

Lux showed no reaction to the provoke, the guards finally allowed him to go through the gate.

"Damn brat."

A whispered like that was heard as he walked past them.

It was a good thing he got used to that kind of people, he managed to keep himself together at the insults.

"Okay, time to find Riku."

Lux took a deep breath before venturing into the overcrowded urban area.

…if Airi knew about this, she would probably scold me.

* * *

**Part 6**

*Sneeze!*

The silver short haired little sister rubbed her nose to ease the sudden itchy feeling.

"Someone must have spoken of your name, Airi-chan."

"That is just superstitious."

While placing her chin on the back of her hands, the woman of blooming age beamed a kind smile at Airi.

Inside the headmistress's office, the young girl was helping Relie to organize the shack of papers scattered on the desk.

"I wonder what Lux-kun is doing right now, perhaps he is helping someone in need." Relie started a conversation, the topic seemed to come up as a passing thought.

"It would be best if he didn't get himself involved in any trouble, Nii-san always has that bad habit."

"Well, I find that aspect of Lux-kun very adorable."

Airi briefly glanced at Relie, who returned the same gaze.

"Of course, Airi-chan is also adorable~."

"Speaking of which." The little sister ignored the teasing. "Have you come up with the specific works for Nii-san?"

"I thought about it, and I know just the right things."

Immediately, three knocks echoed from the door.

A girl with blonde hair stepped into the office, the red color of the sword on her waist stood out.

"Headmistress, I heard you were calling for me."

Airi slowly widened her eyes in surprise and she looked back at Relie, who was keeping a neutral expression.

"Indeed, it's about a very important matter relates to the Drag-Ride maintenance."

The long blonde hair that tied up with a black ribbon on a side of the girl's head waved gently as she approached them.

She was the princess of an entire kingdom.

"Take a seat, Lisesharte-san. We have much to discuss."

* * *

**Part 7**

"Catch him! Don't let that brat escape!"

"I'M REALLY SORRYYYYYYYY!"

Before he was able to do anything, trouble already met him.

The Chore Prince made a mad dash into a narrowed path between deteriorate houses, he was being chased by a group of thugs.

What happened was a silly accident, it involved the kitty and a man who has allergy for cats.

"How dare you brought that animal near our boss!?"

"I was just passing by, I really have no idea! I'm sorry!"

"Screw your apology! Give us money and we'll consider letting you off!"

Extortion right off the bat, this whole thing was an excuse to lure him into their trap.

Words wouldn't be enough to end this dilemma.

Only a few minutes inside the slum and he already fell into one mess of a trouble this time. If it should have come to this, Lux had to do something quick to cut loose those trouble makers.

He could rely on the sword devices to get him out of this situation.

However, the slum was packed with houses and people, something serious might really happen if he started a fight here.

At the exit lied ahead, one of the thugs managed to circle around and closed off the path. He stood there, spreading his big arms, ready to catch the boy at any moment.

…..no choice!

Lux adjusted the two swords on his waist and ran faster, building momentum as he shot through the alleyway. The petty man smirked, thinking that the prey was already in his grasp.

Unknown to the thug, getting past him was never Lux's intention.

As the Chore Prince ran diagonally with the wall on both sides, he pulled of an action that left the thug speechless.

Leaning away, Lux jumped toward the wall to his right and pushed forward. The horizontal wall run technique helped him reach the height outside the thug's reach.

Facing the roof lied parallel to the direction of the wall, Lux kicked the solid surface and threw his body toward the edge.

After landing on top another house, the boy didn't slow down his pace and continued to run.

…

…

"That was close."

He managed to cut loose the thugs.

On a different rooftop, Lux sat down to catch a break. The little kitty popped its head out from inside the collar of his shirt, it changed location.

From now on, the two would have to be careful when they walked the streets inside the slum.

…..where is this place anyway?

Looking around, Lux found himself in a strange place. He began to lose his own sense of direction.

Everywhere appeared almost the same.

Houses and houses were built on top each other, the incomplete infrastructure appeared to have undergone no basic maintenance and suffered poor-quality construction.

People in ragged clothes stayed inside small rooms with not much space to spare.

Horrible, the one word that perfectly described the sight. The living conditions in this place grew worse compared to the outskirt.

Lux understood a certain fact, this meant he moved very deep inside the slum.

It was not a good thing to linger around here.

The search for Riku's house should be put on hold, he needed leave this place first.

***Crack***

"Crack?"

A nasty sound like that echoed underneath.

Parts of the roof was weak, it could not hold his weight.

….I should-

Before Lux even finished his thought, the spot broke and shattered.

"Uwaaaaaaahhh!?"

He fell.

The whole place shook as his back made an impact with the floor. It was not a pleasant feeling to suddenly lose the sense of weight.

Lux stared half-hearted at the big hole he made on the ceiling.

…..I should apologize the owner….

Hopefully, they wouldn't get mad.

"*Cough*…..ar…..are you alright?"

Hearing the weak voice, Lux immediately sat up in panic and bowed.

"I…I'm sorry I broke your house! I'll do anything you request to compensate for the damage!"

He looked at the source, it came from a woman on a small bed. Pieces of fabric were sewed together to create a blanket that cover her body.

Next to her was a young boy.

Two pairs of eyes widened as familiar faces stared at each other.

"You!? What are you doing here!?"

"Riku?"

"…..you…..*cough*….you know my son?" The woman on the bed spoke in between heavy coughs.

….son?

At this point, the sliver haired boy instantly realized the room he fell into was their house. Lux shifted his surprise gaze to the woman who seemed to be bedridden.

A fragile woman with a ghastly pale skin.

She was Riku's mother.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, that's about it. This chapter should have been the conclusion to the first arc but it turned out to be longer than I thought it would be, I have to break it into 2-3 chapters. So the idea here is that Lux sticks close to the Chore Prince position but still decides to help someone in need during his odd job when the matters are too difficult to be left alone or ignore. These problems are small, not that great but they will definitely build a process that gives him a good character development in the future.**

**Anyway, ********review the chapter if you please, criticism is also greatly appreciate. I will see you in the next note.******


	5. Chapter 5: Helpless-Reason

****Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.****

* * *

**~Chapter 5~**

**Helpless_Reason**

**Part 1**

"You again? What business do you have this early in the morning?"

Twitching their eyebrows in annoyance, the guards glared at Lux.

"It's a request." Lux gave a polite smile at the obvious expressions on their faces. His presence was not very pleasant to them.

The young former prince was carrying a big case in his hands, he placed it on the ground and opened the cover for the guard to take a quick look.

"Lumbers? What are these used for?"

"I plan to use them to fix a broken ceiling."

"Fine, you can go in."

Getting the approval, Lux once again ventured inside the slum. It was only a day after he made a big hole on the ceiling of Riku's house by accidence. At first, he would expect to be heavily scolded by the owner of the house, which did not happen. After the accidence, the owner of the house, a sickly woman with a kind-hearted and gentle personality, simply told him to be careful and not to mind about the collateral damage.

The son, however, didn't share the same opinion as his mother. The circumstance ended up where the roles were reserved, Lux was scolded by Riku instead. He was still a child, yet he had a strong and aggressive characteristic. He wouldn't want to spare the former prince from breaking into their tiny home and let him off without a proper compensation. Which was good enough a reason for Lux to return to the slum the next day. The Chore Prince never had the thought of ignoring the damage he caused to their property crossed his mind in the slightest.

In exchange of making this job a priority, Lux reorganized a three days schedule. And due to the sudden change, he gave his apology to those who made a request for him at those time slots in the previous night.

Carefully tracing the path, Lux arrived at the deepest part of the slum while trying his best to avoid troubles. He wouldn't want to experience the thrilling chase upon walking past the gate like yesterday again.

"You actually come back, huh."

Twitching his eyebrow in annoyance, the little boy named Riku glared at Lux. On a short notice, this kind of reaction appeared familiar.

"I brought the materials." Lux smiled regardless of the behavior Riku directed toward him.

"Oh dear, you are such a good person. Please do not mind about the ceiling, we can manage it somehow."

"Oka-san! You shouldn't let him off so easily! He ruined our place so we should make him compensate for that!" Riku turned to Lux, pointing at him rudely with a finger. "I'll be watching you."

Lux nodded and rolled up his sleeves, getting the hammer from the case while preparing nails. The little kitten didn't join him, however, as it found a new hobby. It rolled around on the floor together with the ball made of yarn, amusing the mother on her sickbed.

The first job of the day began.

….

….

*Smash*

The sound echoed repeatedly as Lux roughly swung the hammer down to pin all the small metal spikes into places. The hole was covered with a thick canvas at the bottom to prevent dust from getting inside the house. As quickly as his reflex, Lux switched from one position to another, joining the pieces of lumbers that would make a rooftop out of wood. One of many valuable knowledges he learnt back in the days he worked as an apprentice of the carpenter.

Since there were people living next to the wall, he applied small force to make the work not too loud and cause disturbance to others.

It was only a temporary measure for the time being.

….that child is really watching me.

He never lost concentration on the job, but another presence next to him did gave the Chore Prince a little bit of distraction.

A pair of eyes closely and aggressively observed him like archer aiming at the prey with arrow ready in the bow. The son of the frail woman, who was resting on the bed, was sitting across him. Riku folded his arms together, staring at Lux without blinking as if waiting for him to make a single mistake then throw a tantrum.

"Do you need something I can help with?" Lux asked, still focusing his gazes on the nails the hammer was about to hit.

"…." Riku stayed silent.

Of course, he saw through the whole purpose behind the child's action. If he was to start a conversation to clear out this awkwardness, it might be worth something.

"Is your mother doing alright at the moment?"

"…."

"…..um, do you have any hobby?"

"…"

"It's kind of hot today, isn't it?"

Not really, it was sunny.

Lux imagined those words would come from his mouth, but the child didn't respond to any of the question. Aside from giving the ex-prince a long and hard stare without blinking, he didn't show any intention that proves the willingness to interact with Lux.

…awkward…

"Why did you come here?"

The hammer stopped, Lux turned to the child whose gaze doubted him.

"What exactly do you want?" Riku finally asked. "Are you here to tell her about the thing I did on the street?"

"I have no intention of doing that."

"Then why?"

"To help you fix my clumsy mistake." Lux addressed the hole he made.

"You're lying!" Riku stood up. "That is just an excuse! No one would waste the time to go help people like us in the slum! Well guess what, we're poor and we got nothing to give you! Just leave me and my mother alone when you're done!"

At the sudden burst of anger that came out almost overreacting, Riku climbed back down and went inside the house. Lux was left alone to his own work. The silver haired former prince understood one thing toward that attitude. The child had already considered him as a nuisance, he shouldn't be here.

This request turned out to be harder than it looked.

By the time the burning Sun already reached the highest point on the sky, Lux broke good sweat, and just when he decided to finish the rest, the rumbling sound within the stomach stopped him.

…..ah, I forgot to bring my lunch.

Lux came across a horrible realization. Inside the pocket on his belt a spot was left empty, the small box of sandwich he prepared was not there. He forgot to bring it with him, it was not supposed to be left behind in the abandoned building where he took shelter.

Lux looked around then dropped his head, feeling disheartened, he wouldn't expect much since there could hardly be any place that sells food inside a slum.

"I see that you're hungry." Through the hole, Riku's mother's voice rang. "Would you like to join us, Lux-san?"

"Eh? But-"

"Lunch is ready….*cough*…I set up the table."

If she put it like that, he would have no will to decline.

"Thank you, i-if you don't mind being with me then…."

…

…

Lux blinked at three dishes sat still on an old table. There were only several balls of rice made into the shape of a triangle. The simplest meal that a poor mother could put together while she wore a fragile health.

The house had no seat, Lux was sitting on the ground with Riku and his mother, who sat in the opposite. The little kitty was selfishly enjoying its meal next to them. Its lunch was a small bag of dried fish Lux bought beforehand. Getting ready, Lux carefully shifted his leg inside the narrowed space under the table, a worn-out cushion placed underneath his butt. Old, yet strangely comfortable.

"We only have this much, I hope you don't mind." Riku's mother said.

"N-No, I'm really grateful!" Lux shook his head, he truly meant it.

Riku didn't say anything, he clasped both hands together for a moment, his mother did the same.

"Itadakimasu!"

The mother and child whispered the same word in unison before they grabbed the rice balls and took a bite. Taking his turn to grab one and chew on it, Lux tasted the only salty flavor and remembered it. There wasn't a lot of choices for a meal, very simple. This is the type of meal that came from the people living within the slum.

"Is the taste to your liking?" The mother asked Lux, worried if her hospitality was decent enough for Lux, who came from outside the slum.

"Yes, it's good."

"I see, then I'm relieved." She giggled and let out a light cough, the kind smile dropped abruptly as her sickness played a cruel frank. "Since we're poor, our family can only entertain you with this much. I was afraid the dish couldn't be up to a former prince's standard."

"Please don't be worried, I'm nothing more than a commoner." The silver haired boy replied with a sheepish grin. A tingling squeeze by the black choker on his neck remined him of a position lower than that.

The paled woman turned her view to the ceiling, tapes were holding the thick canvas in place. The broken roof Lux spent nearly half the day to fix was already half-way done.

"You've almost finished, it seems. I hope this doesn't bother your timing with other activities."

"I organized the schedule so it should be okay for a while." Lux quickly explained.

As they continued to enjoy the remaining portions of their lunch, light coughs from the woman repeatedly broke the quiet atmosphere. Nothing proved that the symptom of her sickness would stop, it looked bad.

Riku hurriedly left the table and brought a cup of water to his mother, she drank it and took a deep breath. They had no medicine to help cure her condition.

"I can get you to the local hospital in the nearby district. They give free treatment over there." Lux offered. However, the woman raised her hand.

"It's alright."

"…."

"There's no need to worry, Lux-san. My health may have been in a bad shape but I assure you, I can manage by myself and Riku."

"But-"

"You had been away for a long time, perhaps you don't know about the new policies the New Kingdom applied on the inhabitants of the slum. We're not allowed to frequently walk the streets of Cross Field but this place, our own settlement."

Lux froze, his confused mind slowly processed the words.

"This news was announced a year ago, the authority is aiming to make this city become a tourist attraction when the day of the anniversary comes. We, those living in the slum, are at the bottom of this world hierarchy, our presences would make the streets unclean. They don't want people whose lives depend on other to go out there and cause troubles to others."

"…"

Harsh. The only word he could think of to describe what he just heard.

Even after the fall of the Old Empire, things didn't really change much for the better. The dark side of a country would always exist no matter the circumstance.

Lux touched the collar on his neck.

….I'm no better.

* * *

**Part 2**

"Huh?"

As Lux climbed back on the roof and continued the work, he heard commotion from the street below. People in ragged clothes was running toward a single direction, panic filled their expressions. Some hurriedly went inside the houses and shut the door, locked everything tight and held their breath.

Lux had no idea what just happened. Everyone acted as if an imminent danger was approaching this area.

"Lux-san, get inside!" While the former prince pondered, Riku's mother alerted him to get inside. Her voice shook with a hint of urgent that forced Lux to quickly follow.

Like the other residents, Riku closed the door and pulled the curtain covered the only window. The young boy and his mother retreated to the furthest corner of the room and waited, anticipated the inevitable.

"What's wrong?" Lux asked, the tense atmosphere made him nervous.

"You should be quiet or they will hear us!" Riku said, his tone was the same.

"Oi, oi! Just where do you think you run off to? We just come to have a friendly meeting with you folks."

Outside, someone got caught by a raspy voice. Lux peeked through a hole on the curtain and saw a group of people surrounded an old man. One of them threw an arm over the man's shoulder and held him in an overfriendly manner, the petrified look on that man told Lux he didn't feel anything like it. He was too scared to move an inch.

"P-Please, I don't-"

"Now, hold your horse!" The guy who held him spoke loudly to his ears. "Put that matter aside for a minute, how are you doing nowadays?"

"I…I'm….." The poor man muttered, didn't dare to speak.

…who are these people?

"Lux-san, don't stand near the window, they will see you." The mother whispered, addressing Riku to pull him back in. The young child hesitated for a moment, he followed her words afterward, grabbed Lux by the wrist and yanked.

"What are they doing to that person?"

"Those people are debt collectors, at least that's how they claimed themselves to be and we have the duty to give them protection fee. By nature, they are a gang of criminals, they will do anything to get their hands dirty and get what they want from the poor." In another word, it was stealing. "There's nothing we can do to help him. Please, for now, be silent."

"…."

"Hey, I'll let you in for a fact. Recently, our boss pours all his money into gambling and we're kind of in a tight spot. I'm sure we can borrow something valuable from you, like money, what do you say?"

"I d-don't have anything on me. You c-c….can take a look." The old man was afraid to look at them, he casted everything inside his pocket on the ground. Several tin coins and a piece of bread that he kept to survive for the day. He knew he was being played around by a gang of thuds and they never showed mercy to those who gave them the wrong answer.

"Well, nothing to worry about. There's always next time." The thud patted on the old man's shoulder with his big hand. "Take it and give them to my fellow colleague over there. I'll give you three seconds to do it."

Hearing the threat and being overwhelmed by sheer fear, the poor man crouched down to pick up the money. The hunger and the weak, shaking limbs gave him a difficult time. Everything his poor life depended on was taken.

"Good, you can get out of here now."

The old man lumbered away, he casted one last look at the gang of criminals. Fear, regret and resentment all presented in that stare.

"BEAT IT!" Irritated, one of them kicked the wall and shouted.

The furious attitude fueled the old man's fear, he quickly went out of sight. Lux listened and watched the whole event transpired. Those self-proclaimed debt collectors continued to stroll around the area, making the place as their playground. They knocked on the doors of the unfortunate and made a ruckus weekly. Robbing the poor, the weak and those who had always been inferior to them sounded like a fun thing to do for them.

*Bam*

One big noise rang his ears as they slammed on the door of a neighbor next to this room. A terrified scream of a young woman spread in the air when something crashed on the floor, that door, the last thing that gave the victims a sense of privacy broke to pieces. He heard the begging of a family being drove out of their small, broken settlement. Unpleasant sounds repeatedly echoed, they were breaking everything in the house.

An example provided to those who could not pay them.

The cat hissed in discomfort, Lux glanced at the sword devices resting near the wall. He reached toward the weapons but a cold hand of Riku's mother held him back.

"Lux-san, don't be reckless."

"But they are going to-"

"Please, don't bring trouble upon yourself. This isn't how it works."

Lux had nothing to say against that, clearly, he knew nothing about the changes that happened in Cross Field. Riku was in the corner next to his mother, the child covered both ears and closed his eyes so tight they seemed to glue together and never opened even after this came to an end.

Another scream came, Lux would have gone out there and stopped them.

But….

But….

But….

He thought about it.

He was not a hero. And he was in no position to act or to be like one. Considering his position, it would be wiser not to get into needless troubles. Lux stopped, bitterly retreated to a safe corner. He listened to the nerve-wrecking scream and couldn't do anything about it. The boy endured and rejected the cry for help.

After a moment, the gang of criminals left, leaving behind a devastated scene. The calm returned in the frightening tears of families in distress. Sometime had passed, and yet, no sign of any guard shows up.

"Why didn't anyone call the guards?"

"You should understand. The guards won't care about such trivial incident like this."

"Trivial...this….!?" The heartless truth shocked Lux.

"Lux-san, the current system supports the New Kingdom's prosperity with the rise of aristocrats. We, the poor, merely survive with little food from charities, and are nothing but burden."

"Even so, this is just…cruel."

"This is how it has always been."

In this place, the rules have changed. This was the slum, this was how things work inside the little world belonged to the weakest, this was a part of its nature.

He knew about it, so he shook his head and casted his gaze to the window frame. The crying slowly faded and stopped once reality sunk in. The mother smiled, a kind yet bitter-sweet expression adored her sickly paled face.

"No one care about the poor."

* * *

**Part 3**

The wind picked up.

Lux sat on the edge of a window without glass, it located on top the bell tower in the central district. The little cat obediently stayed inside his shirt. He stared at the moon, his eyes barely showed any energy as they half-heartedly reflected the night view. His work in the slum left unfinished as Riku's mother wanted him to go back early. The request he accepted from the children had turned out to be a lot more difficult than he could imagine.

…..how am I supposed to make Riku smile?

Naïve.

He knew nothing about the people in the slum, and neither he aware of the violence they had endured through time and time. Compared to the lives outside that little world of the weakest, everything was entirely different. Troubles came to those people on a daily basic. As a normal respond, they were willing to co-exist with the harsh living conditions. The group of thuds who forced unreasonable debt on those people, they could have been the whole reason why Riku would willing to commit a petty crime at such a young age.

What Riku's mother said echoed in his mind like an alarm. It was a reminder of how helpless he used to be, he had yet to accomplish a single thing that proved useful to his people when he was still a prince.

Lux shifted his view to the slum from afar, at this height he could almost see everything of that small world. The place was pitch black, lifeless without a single source of light unlike the nearby districts.

"…...no one care about the poor." Lux repeated those words.

If that was the way Riku and his mother saw the world.

If that was what caused him to change, to make him indifferent from the rest of his friends. It was very unlikely that Lux could do anything to help.

The Chore Prince was a person who used to doing chores and the like, solving human problems had never been something he's capable of doing, he was more of a type that easily gets pushed around.

…I should withdraw, this matter goes beyond my capability.

Lux sighed and made up his mind about declining the request. All the stuff he received from the children as payment, he hadn't used or touched any of it. He just left them on the table back in the abandoned building where he took shelter.

It was about time he returned all back to their owners.

Lux slipped his hand inside the pouch hang on the back of his belt and took out a small notebook, a pen readied on his other hand. The description of the task to fix the roof of Riku's house was still here. He planned to come back to the slum and finish the rest in the next day. All he needed to do right now is to cross out the children's request from the list.

….this is…..the right thing to do, isn't it?

The pen moved, it drew a straight line on the page.

* * *

**Part 4**

"Oka-san, you're making more?"

"You know it's something I do to help myself relax."

Lights from a single candle lit the room, Riku looked through that dim brightness and asked his mother. The woman on the bed rolled a ball of yarn, she tied a knot at the end and stuck a needle into the middle part of the toy, sewing until the tail of the thread ran out. Next, she wrapped the ball around another thread and repeated the process until it was fully covered. Multiple pins stitched on the ball and threads crossed along a guide line to create a petal-like pattern. A thread with much thicker color added in, highlighted the petal design.

Everything was done inside a dark room with a limited view.

"And it's done." The mother finished, she held a hand-ball with pink petals image bloomed at its most beautiful moment. Her imagination perfectly captured it, a flower belonged to a long-lost nation, easily withered and relived together with the passage of time.

"Do you think this much would provide enough for us to pay the debt?" Riku addressed the sack contained the same toys.

"Eight more should be fine, we're lucky a merchant showed interest in buying these toys I made. The deadline to pay for the protection fee is in two more days, I can do it."

She started coughing lightly. They were fully aware of the consequences if they could not satisfy the unreasonable condition.

"Oka-san, please rest. You worked hard enough."

"Yes, perhaps you're right." She giggled, looking at the ceiling as she lied down on her bed. The canvas which covered the hole was still hanging up there, the restoration was not yet completed. "I wonder how that boy is feeling. He seems willing to help us, even though we're of different status."

"You mean the Chore Prince? They said there's nothing good about him because he is the former prince of the Old Empire."

"I don't think he is the type to bring harm to others. You saw his face when our neighbors were being disturbed by the debt collectors, he was genuinely worried."

"…" Riku said nothing and turned away.

The mother simply smiled at her child's reaction. Later, he helped her cleared up the bed and put all tools and needles back into the drawer. Once the woman fell asleep, he quietly put out the candle and let darkness watched over her.

….

….

The wall isolated the slum from the rest of Cross Field inhabitants were built for various purposes. Since the establishment of the New Kingdom of Atismata, local authorities spent the effort to renovate it a few times. The whole process didn't always run smooth, people who lived in the slum voiced their objection to this unfair treatment. The construction wouldn't stop and were built quicker for there was a possibility a riot would break out. And this hasty movement caused flaws, some parts of the wall were made of poor quality, easy to break.

At someplace where the eyes of authority couldn't reach and the guards didn't aware, smugglers and criminals dig holes on the wall or hatches near it, creating multiple paths so they could transport illegal goods in and out the slum. Riku arrived at a place like that, he climbed down a small hatch that fitted the size of a child like himself, the cover was camouflaged by grass. It was a path left abandoned due to a recent cave in.

A child wandered the dark narrowed streets of the most dangerous place in Cross Field was not an unusual sight to see. Despite being a kid, Riku was smart enough to avoid any suspicious individual who would do everything to harm him or not dare to venture near the hideouts of criminal gangs. Squeezing himself through the gaps, the child climbed up a stair, looking at a star-filled open sky. He was right outside the wall.

….I can do this.

The child resolved on something, an objective he had in mind. Then he ran toward the district filled with light.

* * *

**Part 5**

"I MESSED UUUUUUUUP!"

Riku screamed in panic mode and dashed at full speed, two men in uniform were chasing right behind him. Yes, he messed up. He found a woman of the upper class leisurely walked along the pavement with her pet, she was full of opening. He followed and sneaked behind her, aiming for the gold bracelet she was wearing. It was loose, so he thought he might have the change to snatch it and retreat.

Everything crashed down when a group of patrolling guards suddenly appeared. This part of the streets was very near to the district where many of the nobles resided, which was why security was always tight, especially around the evening clock.

People from the slum was not supposed to be in this particular area, that was the policy.

The guards grew suspicious when they saw a child in slightly tattered clothes wandering around. Soon, they approached to ask him some questions. Riku immediately turned and ran off before they did, which led to the current situation.

"Stop!"

"Don't run!"

He knew too well what would happen if those hands caught him. People on the street was alerted. Riku headed straight to a crowd, tackled every gap he saw, it took a moment for him to get out of that place.

"*Gasp*….*gasp*…..I managed to cut them off."

He hid inside the shadow of an alleyway, the ongoing search outside prevented him from stepping out. The lone child stayed in that spot, waited until the disturbance to die down and wandered off to another place.

He didn't plan to come back without anything valuable in hands.

…..

…..

"Guguh, I felt numb in the arms. Today's training was tougher than usual." A girl with light brown hair rubbed her hands together.

"The instructor said she would increase more physical activities in most of the sections for this week, we ought to prepare." Another girl with shoulder length blue hair gave her comment next to the girl.

"I can tell that hideous workout plan is for third-years, those exercises the instructor applied on us are that person's idea, isn't she? Even though she has already gone to the capital, that senpai still wants to make us experience hell!"

"**Tillfur**, I agree with you that person is strict. But maybe it is your own fault for slacking off too much."

"How cruel!? **Sharis** should have supported me, her best friend, not criticizing!"

"What can I say, it is for your own good."

The light brown-haired girl pouted cutely while a light chuckle came from the other girl, who covered the mouth with her hand. Both were wearing the uniform of a prestigious academy built on top the highest ground of Cross Field. It was a place where the children of aristocratic origin gathered and studied. They were wealthy young ladies, the lack of money was the least of their concerns.

Riku's next targets were them, he had been keeping a safe distance as he followed the two. A small leather purse spotted hanging by the belt of the blue haired girl. The amount of coins inside should be enough to pay the debt before the upcoming deadline and feed his family for a whole week. Not to mention that the purse made of high-quality material could be sold for a good price and help him buy the right medicine to cure his sick mother.

The light-brown haired girl also carried a bag in her arms, they must have gone back from a little shopping trip. He didn't need it, the purse was the only thing he needed to focus on. When an opportunity struck, he would get it and this time, without fail.

The girls stopped at the corner of the street, waiting a horse-drawn carriage to move past them before they cross. That short period created a perfect chance for Riku and he quickly acted. The purse was finally in his grasp.

…..all that left is-

"What are you doing?"

"!?"

The young boy shivered under the observant gaze of the light brown-haired girl. She found him standing behind her friend and holding a small coin purse that looked awfully familiar.

The blue haired girl turned around, saw that and checked the same item attached to her belt. It was gone, now they stared at him.

"Hm, isn't that mine?"

They noticed the state of his clothes, they aware that he was not from around this area. As Riku took a step back, hints of doubt clearly showed on their expressions.

The little thief was caught red handed at the last minute.

"Sorry for interrupting." Suddenly, a voice chimed in.

It was a young boy with distinctive silver hair and a black choker wrapped around his neck, he approached and beamed a thin smile at the girls. For some reason, they looked surprise. Riku was the same, his eyes widened at the unexpected appearance of the Chore Prince.

"You dropped this, I saw the child picked it up." Lux took the purse in Riku's hand and gave it to the blue haired girl. "I'm sure he wants to return it to you."

…..why is he….?

This whole thing was an act, he made it sound like it really happened that way. The girl hesitated a bit to let this sudden event sink in. Shortly after, she reached to her purse, smiling with gratitude.

"Thank you."

"Well then, excuse us." The silver haired boy replied and patted gently on Riku's shoulder. Everything was over, they turned and walked away.

"Wait up!" The blue haired girl raised her voice, causing them to flinch and stop on track. The young boy was confused and somewhat afraid, their act must have been seen through.

She came to them and carefully kneed down, fixed the skirt. Her face, pretty and filled with confidence, was now at Riku's height.

"You're not from this area, am I right?" She asked him in a soft voice.

"…I…" Riku stuttered, he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

"What is your name?" As if knew the answer, she continued to ask. He gasped softly, looking at the girl and then turning to Lux. The Chore Prince gave him a nod.

"….it…...it's Riku…."

"Riku, is it. Can you let this onee-san see your hand?" The child did as he was asked, and the girl grabbed it. He jumped a bit and quickly closed his eyes, thinking it might be some form of punishment.

"Here, I can only give you this much." When he opened his eyes again, four gold coins appeared, they lied in the palm of his hand. "Thank you for returning my purse, you're such a good child."

"We appreciate it." The light-brown haired girl came along and rubbed his head. "Though you shouldn't be out here alone, it's dangerous for kids to wander around at this time. Your parents will get worried."

At those kind words, Riku remained quiet, his head slightly bent down, hiding his face from view.

"Ah, I'll be sure to bring him home." Lux finally spoke.

The girls fully shifted their attention to him, curiosity and amusement were all over in those gazes. The light-brown haired girl cheerfully waved at Lux, which he had no idea why that gesture would be her respond. The little kitty popped its head out of his shirt, meowing at the girl made the circumstance even stranger.

"It seems you are doing well."

"Eh?" He blinked at the blue haired girl, who beamed him a knowing smile. Somehow, he felt they had already met him before.

"..…..I'm sorry…." A small mutter caught their attentions. As they looked at Riku, Lux and the girls startled to see him crying. "Onee-san, I'm sorry….."

"W-What's wrong!?"

"Why are you crying?"

Some pedestrians shared a glance at the boy when they heard the cry, it started the chain of unneeded attractions. Nearby, Lux saw a guard was patrolling.

"It's alright, I'll definitely bring you back to your mother! Just point me the way!" Lux quickly acted as he declared so, the silver haired boy carried Riku on his back and hurriedly dashed out of there.

The girls who were left behind stared into the distance.

"..…..ah, he went off with the child."

"Uhm, that black collar and the distinctive hair color. There's no mistaking it, he is that Airi-chan's big brother."

* * *

**Part 6**

The slum was not very far away, its entrance only lied just ahead of them. Lux had been walking for some time while the young child rested on his back, whimpered weakly.

"….."

The child had not said anything ever since, he buried his face into Lux's back. And the older boy could feel some damped spots touched him, he wouldn't mind if Riku actually used the shirt to wipe all the fluid and tears running from his nose and eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" The Chore Prince asked, and he received a slight shake of the head. As he turned to look over his shoulder, he could still see the child hide his face away. "How is your mother doing?"

He asked another question, Lux wasn't expecting an answer for the sake of starting a conversation. Those words merely came out on their own.

"She's resting." On the contrary to his thought, Riku's urge to whimper faded and he replied. "By the way…you can't go into the slum through the main entrance, it's closed. The guards won't let anyone in or out at this time."

…the authorities are being overly strict with these people.

"Ahaha, figures." Lux smiled awkwardly and stopped. He didn't plan to continue walking in that direction. "I can't go this way then, is there any other way we can go around?"

"I know one, you should go to the east side of the wall. The entrance is covered by the grass."

Lux followed Riku's words as the child pin-pointed the location.

"Say, Lux nii-chan." Hearing the addressed name, Lux's eyes opened wide. "How did you know I was there in the first place?"

The silver haired boy snapped out from the temporary shock, he probably didn't see that one coming. The usual haughty attitude was nowhere to be seen from the child.

"Up there."

To answer those questions, he simply pointed at the tower located in the central district. It was one of the tallest structures in Cross Field, it gave him a view that could even rival to the sight when looking down at the city from the top of the Officer Royal Academy above the large hill. If he can be allowed to go there someday, he might as well as to make a comparison later.

"I saw the guards on patrol duty all headed toward a single direction. I thought something serious happened, so I went to check."

"Why?"

"How to put it….if there's someone in need and I can help them within my capability, then I'm happy."

"Then why did you lie to that onee-chan to help me? I'm clearly in the wrong."

"I'm aware that you're doing it only to help your mother. As for my own reason, maybe I just want to help."

"You're strange, Lux nii-chan."

It was not a compliment, but the strange one found it hilarious at some point to let out a light chuckle. After a few minutes moving in silence, Riku decided that he could walk by himself and asked Lux to put him down.

"I'll be honest, Riku." Lux suddenly said. "After I fix that ceiling tomorrow, I don't think there's any reason for me to be in the slum anymore. I'll return to do my odd jobs."

"….." The boy didn't say anything and continued to listen.

"The reason why I was there in the beginning is because your friends request me to help you. They're worried about you, they want to see you smile with them together again." Lux glanced to the side, his tone displayed a hint of helplessness. "But at this point, I'm afraid I can't do anything more than this. The situation goes beyond my ability to handle things. This is as far as I can go, I'm just a Chore Prince, after all."

Riku turned away, his expression was not seen. Lux couldn't see it, yet he understood the child was saddened by these words.

"Will you play with them again, like you used to?" He didn't make it sound like a demand or a request, he was simply asking the child a question leading to many possibilities. How he would choose was entirely depended on him.

"If my mother and I can make it, then yes. I want to play with them again." Riku smiled sheepishly. "Geez, they didn't have to go this far. I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Lux nii-chan…and about my behavior…"

That pair of red eyes looked like they would cry a fountain of tears. Either way, Lux was glad. Even though he did nothing, the relationship between Riku and his friends were still there, slowly mending the gap.

"Say, Lux nii-chan, you used to live the life of royalty, right? What was it like?" A question born out of sheer curiosity hit Lux.

He knew well about it for the most part. If he was to tell about the Old Empire, reality was far more horrible and complex than a child needs to know.

"….err…I spent most of my childhood outside the court so I'm not sure how to describe that." Lux scratched the back of his head. "It was not really to my liking, I guess."

The child nonchalantly nodded, though the curiosity had yet to end.

"Because the Emperor of the Old Empire was bad? They said he was a tyrant who showed no mercy to his own citizens."

"…uhm…" It might still be an understatement.

"Is Lux nii-chan and the Emperor closed?"

"We're not. When I lived in the Royal Capital, I only met him on important occasions."

Unfortunately, that rarely occurred since he was the seventh prince, an illegitimate child. He was the furthest successor to the throne in his lineage.

"In any case, I'm not a person of royalty anymore, just a commoner…or even lower than one…..." He got sidetracked, it would be a good time to move to a different topic. "Tell me more about your family, I can tell that your mother is a very kind-hearted and strong-willed person."

"Okaa-san always manages everything on her own, I only help as much as I can."

What a good child!

"Sometime okaa-san just told me to go and play with others, children should know how to enjoy and have fun. You just don't get too carry away with it and forget about your own circumstance."

What a responsible mother!

"The uncle next door also told me to be nice to okaa-san because of how beautiful she looks. He said all beautiful women in the world deserve to be respected."

…hm, that sounds…..okay…?

"Especially the dancers in the **Pleasure Quarter**."

"Riku, always keep your distance from those types of people! No one teaches children like that!"

"Lux nii-chan, what is the Pleasure Quarter?"

Lux froze, he had never gone to said place before, but he knew what kind of place it was. Momentarily, his mind flashed back to that one time in Gible's bar, the perverted bar owner who had a not-so-great reputation with the ladies used to speak to him about the Pleasure Quarter.

"_Listen, Lux-kun. The Pleasure Quarter is a place where the dreams of men come true. It is a whole different world, filled with transcended beauty, pleasure and legendary mysteries. It can never be compared to anything, to mortal men like us, that place IS a paradise. For youngsters like you, too much temptation. I bet a pure boy like you won't even last half a day in that place."_

Lux Arcadia, who was doing chore as a bar waiter, took all those words in. When he finally understood the meaning behind those words, he looked at the owner and said.

"_Are you drunk again?"_

Yes, it was like that.

"It's a place filled with mysteries, the dreams of men and transcended beauty. For young people like us, it is dangerous." Lux repeated those exact words. "So I was told."

He didn't know the right concept.

However, getting to hear it from a perverted man, it was not a location he definitely would want to venture nearby. Nothing good would come out of it.

"Eh, that's strange. Uncle said different-"

Coughing lightly, Lux changed the topic.

"Anyway, you don't need to know about it. What about your father? Can you tell me about him?"

Riku paused, casting his gaze to the ground. Lux saw the slight change in expression and immediately realized he touched a sensitive subject.

"I don't know." The child answered before Lux could say anything else. "I've never met otou-san. Okaa-san told me stories about him. He was a good person, they went through the most difficult time, he helped okaa-san when she needed him the most. But he isn't with us anymore, I often wonder but she never talks about it."

Lux began to regret picking this topic, it made sad memories resurfaced.

"Okay, I did mine. It's Lux nii-chan's turn to tell me about yours."

"?"

"I heard families who were born of royalty are always grand in members, is that true?"

"It may be true to some others. As for me, there are only three persons in this world I consider as my family, my little sister Airi, my grandfather and my mother." The Chore Prince smiled.

"Eh, you have a little sister?"

"Yeah, she's currently a student of the Academy." Lux pointed at the castle-liked structure on top the slope. "We've not talked for a while so I'm hoping for an opportunity."

"What about your okaa-san?"

"My mother...she…." Lux trailed off and went into deep thought, figuring how to phrase the next word carefully. "She's different, a kind-hearted person. Despite being a figure of royalty, she never really cared about her position and neither did she abused it. That made her different from the rest, I guess I was lucky to be raised by her."

Riku was confused as the past tense and Lux said nothing more, he would leave it at that.

"Then, how did you become the Chore Prince?"

An unexpected reaction came out, Lux flinched and looked at the moon. The emotionless respond didn't come up until they walked for another distance.

"**Because I'm the weakest."**

The conversation ended once they reached the hidden hatch. Nevertheless, Lux was surprised when he saw it. Before helping the child to close the cover as he began to climb in, the silver haired former prince slipped some gold coins into his tiny hands.

"This….!?"

"If your mother's condition grows worse, use this money to buy her some proper medicines."

"Thank you, Lux nii-chan!" Riku smiled happily and put it inside his pocket.

The two said goodbye, as the young child disappeared into the darkness of the passage beneath the earth, Lux closed the hatch. He could finally call it a night and went home.

On the way back, Riku's content expression popped up in his mind. The Chore Prince recalled a certain request he crossed out the list, the son of the carpenter and the group of children had asked him to make Riku smile again.

And this time he did it. In a way, he had already helped him and managed to bring a smile to that child.

Request completed.

Lux unknowingly let the same smile spread on his face.

* * *

**Part 7**

Two men was talking, multiple candles lighted up their surroundings.

"How is the preparation?"

"It's done, boss. We're ready to head out, everything will be quick and clean by the time sun rises."

"Good! Tell the boys to hurry, act as discreetly as you can. Anyone who try to fight back, use brute force to get them. Our gang is going to have a big prize of money rolling into my pocket once we finished the job. Make sure you inform the inside men, they will take care of the mess we left behind."

"Got it, boss."

The door slammed shut, leaving the man alone. He turned to a dark corner, where the dim light barely reached. Someone stood there, leaning their back on the wall.

"Thanks to you, things will progress much faster, little-"

A flash appeared, faster than lighting. Parts of the wall behind the man shattered to pieces as a giant bullet smashed through it.

"Mind your tongue, call me little miss again then an accident will come. Your eyes may roll on the floor watching your headless torso." The man gulped, that tone seemed light-hearted yet malicious at the same time. "Everything is according to the plan and you're about to be rewarded with ton of money, are you happy now?"

"W-Well yes! Of course! It's a pleasure to be working with the Bla-"

In an instance, the wooden floor next to his feet shattered as another flash appeared and vanished.

"I haven't finished!?"

"Don't speak of my associated alias so lightly, I don't remember allowing you to say it." The figure in the dark corner tossed something across the room, the man caught it with ease. "Tell your goons to use that for precaution, in case the plan goes south."

Letting out a chuckle, the figure left the man to his own thought. He glanced down at the object in his grasp.

It was a sword device.

* * *

**Part 8**

The next day, Lux returned to the gutter deep within the slum. When he arrived, a large crowd of people in ragged clothes gathered, standing in the middle of the way. Every single one of them was shaking, the emotion called fear was prominent on their faces.

A bad feeling suddenly clutched his mind, he found the other way around and passed through the crowd. It was then, a scene of chaos struck him hard.

"…..eh?"

That old house was nowhere to be seen. Rubbles and fragments of doors and windows scattered the ground. The surrounding wall filled with holes. Many small settlements came crashing down and there was the smell of something burned in the air. Nothing remained the way he remembered. Traces of breaking and violence were all over the scene.

Something terrible had happened.

Without even aware of how panic he was, his feet already running and searching for any sign of life. He moved away the bricks and broken logs that collapsed on each other and tangled like a thick web.

"Riku! Where are you!? Where is everyone!?"

He hoped for a respond, the little kitty on his head jumped down and guided him to a specific spot. Lux could tell it smelled something, perhaps a scent that appeared familiar to it. It went inside the gap visible under a pile of lumbers that still looked new. Instantly, Lux recognized the material he used to restore the big hole on the ceiling. It was at this place, where the house of Riku and his mother once stood.

Lux quickly pushed things out of his way, his heart nearly skipped a beat too long when an unconscious child was found buried under.

It was Riku. He was still alive, breathing weakly.

The little kitten was right there, watching over the child until Lux could reach over and drag him out of the collapse site.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, that's about it. **

**What do you think? I'm curious to know your opinions toward Lux's way of handling the request regarding the situation of people in the slum. The next chapter will be the conclusion to the first arc, and hopefully I can update this story before Christmas.  
**

**R********eview the chapter if you please, criticism is also greatly appreciate. I will see you in the next note.******


	6. Chapter 6: Chore-Prince

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.**

* * *

**~Chapter 6~**

**Chore_Prince**

**Part 1**

_The small entrance closed shut with a creak._

_Watching the guest leave, a young child stood still until the sound of rolling wheels died down in the cold breeze. When the horses and the carriage had gone out of sight, he went back inside his home. The big hall greeted his return with a definite silence. Usually, there were personal attendants and maids who served his family, moving around with stuff in their grasps. He would have wondered why the lack of presences. For a short moment, he remembered. _

_Those people were gone, that was a long time ago. Only his family remained._

_Because of a simple excuse he did not understand, he, along with Airi and their mother, were expelled from the court. They said his grandfather committed a grave crime against the Empire. For that, they must accept this punishment as consequence._

_The six years old Lux wandered the empty corridors of his home. So quiet, so chilling no matter how bright those lambs on the walls help him see. Strong gusts of wind kept bashing against window frames, the dead of night made him shuddered. He had no idea what to do, there was no telling what will happen to this family in the future. _

_Lux shook his head, disregarding those needless thoughts._

…_.I should check on Airi._

_Poor child. His younger sister was bedridden for a few days, mother was worried to no end even though she herself had fallen ill until recent. All because of the crime his maternal grandfather caused. Lux could never believe it, the words, the explanation that reeked of poisonous lie from the guards who threw him out the street that day. _

_**Wade Roadbelt**__ betrayed the country he had dedicated everything to serve. Lux felt sick just by hearing it. He would never do that. Grandfather would never do such thing._

_The young child approached his little sister's room._

"_?" Lux flinched._

_It was already opened, leaving a small gap. _

_A warm feeling swelled up within him when he heard a melody. It faintly embraced the boy in their illusory yet gentle warmth. Every tension that filled his thoughts about their circumstance vanished like it was never there. The child came closer and slowly pushed the door. To his mild surprise, a young woman was there, sitting next to Airi's bed. A tiny scarves wrapped around her small shoulder, she had a kind expression and a caring voice. She sang a soothing lullaby to bring her daughter to sleep, her small hand rested on the child's head._

_Hearing the weak creaking, she turned to look at Lux. A thin smile welcomed him._

"_Mother." The young child uttered a single word before looking at Airi, who seemed to have a good journey in the dreamland. "Is Airi feeling better?"_

"_She is. Her illness will fade, soon."_

_Lux walked in, a small smile formed on his face as the mother extended her hand toward him. She was telling him to come over. Slender arms gently pulled him into an embrace, he would never forget this motherly warm and her soft touch. _

_He would always remember her. _

_The kindhearted mother who raised Lux and Airi Arcadia._

* * *

**Part 2**

The hospital was bustling with people, an everyday sight.

Lux cared none of that.

He waited, anxiety raced through his body.

The former young prince was sitting outside the patient room. As he waited, his hands clasped together. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened in the slum and the condition of a little child, who trapped beneath the collapsed concretes. Collateral damages were enormous, one part of the slum became a ruin. Before Lux carried Riku out of there, he had tried to search for others by mustering all the strength stored inside that small built body of his. Lifting rocks after rocks, running from houses to houses that reduced to a giant pile of rubbers. Guards were informed and they were quick to arrive at the location to form barrier and investigate the site.

At the heart of the slum, the structure to hold the place together was too old and having too low of a quality. One of the shelters must have broken down on a whim as it could not hold itself no longer, causing a chain of collapsing. It was a tragedy caused by a twist of unfortune, they concluded.

Nothing more could be done, much to Lux's shock.

How quick it was for them to arrive at such an answer. Those guards sounded so nonchalant as they let those words go around. The protectors of Cross Field citizens watched the ruin in front of their eyes without an ounce of care.

As if…

Lux frowned, his hands gripped so tight the skin turned pale underneath the gloves.

…as if they consider what happened to be a normal thing.

No! It was not normal.

Nobody questioned anything.

He found none. There was no survivor, no traces of blood and bodies. That child was the only one remained. Everyone, including his mother, was gone. They all vanished throughout the night, leaving behind the destruction that brought terror to those who lived by. People in the slum hung onto their life dearly after knowing what occurred to a small number of their population. They didn't deserve this.

So did Riku.

Lux's thought came to a halt when he heard the door swings open, a doctor walked out with the nurse. Instinct pushed Lux's back, telling the boy to rush over to them. A slight hint of uncertainty flashed on the doctor's face made him flinch.

…...please let it not be bad news.

Lux silently prayed.

"You are the caretaker of that child, I believe?" The doctor asked, meanwhile, his line of sigh trailed down to the black collar on the boy's neck. "Oh."

"Y-Yes, I brought him here. How is Riku? What is his condition?" Lux prompted, he wasted no time to get an answer. "Is Riku going to be alright?"

"He's still unconscious. Unfortunately, there are no life-threatening injuries found on the child as far as we concern. However, the wounds inflicted on his head causes a mild concussion, I recommend further surveillance. It can take some time to recover. Perhaps, a week accompanied by medication."

His breath hitched for a second, solemnly nodded as he took those words in.

"For now, we will continue to provide treatment." The nurse reassured. "You can visit the patient at a later date."

"Thank you very much!" The silver haired boy bowed his head deeply.

When the doctor and the nurse left, Lux made up his mind. He was going to find out about this so-called accident by those guards. The boy planned to dig deeper and to do that, he would need info.

And Lux knew exactly where to find a good source.

* * *

**Part 3**

In the evening, business tent to come out slower in his field of expertise.

Multiple candles lit up, accompanied by the dim lamp on the ceiling. The man, who was in mid thirty, set them around his work desk. As he stared at his own decoration, he lightly stroked the properly trimmed mustache he's usually so proud of, which used to make an impression with the ladies, his words. The man frowned, reaching the furthest candle he placed near the edge and shifted it to a new position.

"Now, that's just wonderful!"

Delight. He grinned at the display, one could tell he was going to enjoy the set up he spent a few days to come up with just for a simple purpose as entertaining himself by creating the perfect mood to read books, to indulge in the world of literatures. Now, to take care of the lightning. He perked his head up, looking at the lamb. He would need to find some way to tone down the light a bit. Perhaps wrapping a piece of cloth with darker color around it should probably do the trick. Oh, wait! There was the issue with the heat, he should be careful with that, too.

"Let's use paint instead."

What choices of color should he pick?

Black? No, too dark.

White? No, that basically would do nothing to lower the effect.

Rose? Nah, so cliché.

He went to the back, passing a dark room. Inside, a figure was sitting on a chair. The person didn't seem to bat an eye at the eccentric man as they were busy reading an old piece of novel in amusement.

"Say missy, between pink and red, which one do you think is great for romance genre?" He stopped and asked.

The person barely moved, only titling their head a little. Wearing black robe and reading books in a dark space made it difficult to know what their genuine reaction was. How could they even do that, anyway? Staring at black ink in a room without a single source of light aside from the moonlight.

"Pink?"

"…"

"Red?"

"…."

"Do you want some tea?"

"…"

"Personally speaking, I do like pink better. It's-Bukhah!" He wasn't allowed to finish as one thick dictionary was sent flying and made a lovely impact on his face.

"Be quiet, don't bother me!" That person looked annoyed, a hint of "I'll butcher you" appeared in the gleaming pair of heterochromia. "I don't care about the color. Use your blood, dark red sounds better right? Get out of my sight while I'm trying to relax."

Geez, quite a short temper they had. Best to leave this troublesome individual alone then.

The eccentric man raced to the backyard, he opened the storage that covered in spider web and dust. It was about time he had a second thought about cleaning the place by himself, he had been stalling the task for too long. Carrying all the small paint cans he could find back to his desk. The man rubbed his chin as he pondered over his selection. Once an idea came up, he snapped his fingers.

Yes! Purple!

Dark orchid! That was the corrected choice. Always one of the best color themes for romance setting.

The man worked quick, he got the ladder and applied a very thin layer of the colored substance to the lamb. At one point, he tripped and fell but that didn't matter. The entire room was now illuminated by an illusory viola color. Perfect! This proved that he was way smarter than that bar owner, Gible could never come up with something as brilliant as this.

Finally satisfied with his result, the man threw everything back to the storage and returned to his seat. He placed a stack of books on the desk, dusting off the dirt stuck on those old pages. He grabbed a book, opened the cover and began to read-wait a minute. Something was missing.

The man opened the two drawers below the desk. He made a rule not to read any of the book without his precious monocle.

And…

***Pop***

He popped the cork of an expensive wine.

Yup, if you are going to have a drink while reading, nothing beats a glass of red wine. The man knew his stuff, he sure did.

As he wore the one eye glasses on his left eye, the man gave a hum before reading again. He was the owner of a bookstore after all. Everything he did had to be professional and in his style. At this fact, he placed both leg on the desk.

Well, customers rarely appear at this hour. He could enjoy stretching and sitting however he wants. It was not like someone would appear and see him like this. If they did, that would bring them a bad image from a gentleman such as himself. Ah, yes. The person in the back didn't count.

"Time to enjoy myself!"

**Knock knock!**

He tripped over, the back of his head met the floor. The man immediately sat up straight, a big red bump on his head. He put on the most professionally business-liked face, though the scowl hardly hid away.

Someone eventually came to interrupt his quality time.

…..

…..

A small brass bell hung by the door rang, grabbing the attention from a single man in the room.

The man's eyes perked up from the worn-out hard cover to a certain young boy with distinctive silver hair, who just walked in. Wait, what was that on top his head? A cat?

The little meow from the cat made him frown. He made a rule not to allow animal into his store, these books were precious, old and new alike. He was afraid they would do something to it. It took him many years and lots of efforts to gather promising collections that people want to buy. The silver haired boy seemed to understand his gaze as he quickly turned around. The door was left opened for him to see the boy dropped his cat on the ground and told the good adorable little creature to stay and wait.

Surprised? He didn't hate animals. He was being cautious for these book's sake.

Carefully marking the page with a feather sticking out before closing the book between his grasp, he straightened his posture, adding a light cough, and put the monocle away. The unfinished book found its way to the shelves behind him as the man turned his full attention to the new guest.

"Welcome to Lian's bookstore." The man greeted, slightly bowed his head in a polite manner. "How can I help you?"

The young boy smiled in respond, an awkward smile he was wearing to be precise. Scratching his cheek as he looked at the man, the boy finally spoke.

"L-Long time no see, Lian-san."

Lian, the owner of the bookstore, blinked. In a moment, he could have sworn he recognized that half-feminine look and the black choker elsewhere. Oh! Oh, now he remembered. There was that certain boy who used to be a regular customer of his store, renting some of the books while at the same time helping him with some personal requests. Tonight, he decided to pay this self-proclaimed gentleman a visit.

"Lux Arcadia. How long has it been!" The man stood up, extending a hand toward the boy. "I heard of your return."

"Yes."

They shook hands, the owner of the bookstore was excited to see him. What luck! Now he could have someone to clean the mess that piled up in the back storage.

"You stepped into my door just right on time, boy. I would like to make a request."

"Um, I….."

"Oh, yes! Yes! Sorry, that was rude of me. You came here to read books and I already think of a job to give you without your conscience."

"No, I…."

"I have new novels in stock, there are some great books about countries, too. Apparently, they're all new editions since the authors want to vote for an update and they decided to publish it again ever since the fall of the Old Empire-" Lian gasped, shutting his rambling mouth and covered it with his hand. That was a touchy subject.

Much to his relief, Lux only chuckled.

"Lian-san, I'm not here to rent or buy any book today. If you have a request to give me, I'll make sure to jot it down later." The boy turned serious, a quick change of emotion glared in his eyes surprised Lian. "Right now, I want to make a request."

"Alright, I'm listening."

"I need information."

Lian blinked, eyebrows slowly narrowed. It was almost too rare to hear those words from the boy, he was asking him to switch to his other business. Information broker, the type of job that could only belong and work fine in a discreet environment.

"Did something happen?"

Lux didn't reply, only gave the man a nod. That was enough of a confirmation. Lian cleaned up his desk, blowing out the flickering tinder on the candles as he put them away. He motioned his head for Lux to lock the door.

"What will it be?"

"Have you heard about what happened in the slum?"

"Yes, I've heard. That was quite an unfortunate…" He trailed off, finding the word. "…accident….as they said."

Lux nodded, this meant the man knew what happened. He clearly aware of what truly transpired behind the scene, in the deepest corner of Cross Field's most notorious area. The silver haired boy placed a pouch on the desk and pushed it toward Lian, inside filled with gold coins.

"This much, huh." The man hummed.

Whatever info this boy needed, he wanted it to be accurate, down to every detail of everything single matter that linked to the bottom of a fact. For a person who bore the debt that was one filth of the Kingdom wealth, this pouch alone must have earned him a whole month of doing odd jobs.

"I'll pay more if you need."

Lian could tell the boy was desperate and didn't beat around the bush. This was the kind of customer he preferred to do business with. Seriously, the Chore Prince should need a discount, it will help. Lian picked up the pouch and tossed it back to Lux. With a surprised look, he caught it.

"The payment is a request I would like you to note it down." He pointed to the back of the store. "Help me clean up my storage when you have the time."

Eyes widened, Lux stared at the man a little longer. Thin smile formed when the words finally sunk in.

"I'll come here by weekend."

It's a deal!

* * *

**Part 4**

Lux treated his steps carefully around the fallen tree branches, he was deep in the wood. Nothing aside from the moonlight he could use as a primary light source to shine the way. The little kitten was left back home, it wouldn't need to join him out here.

"_Tell me, what do you want to know about that accident in the slum?"_

"_Everything, I have my suspicious when I found no body beneath the concretes."_

"_Oh? You were there?"_

"_Yes."_

It was still around midnight, the boy had readied his gears and headed out immediately. Looking back, he could see the tiny dots formed by many street lambs on the other side of Cross Field's big wall. He walked a good distance from the civilization. For now, he hoped he was on the right track.

"_That area was stormed by a group of bandits?"_

"_Not just any ordinary bandit gang. Apparently, they are widely-known in the slum and the underground society. Thief, loan shark, murders, illegal trades and goods, smuggler, protection fee, gang wars. They are responsible for every dirty secret and violence in the slum."_

"…_err…..underground society?"_

"_It's a place where the scariest types of criminal and shady people do business with each other. What? I used the wrong term? Fine, let's call it the underworld. Hey, don't give me that look, Lux-kun. I'm not participating in any of those treacherous things that no decent human person would prefer to do. How did I know about it? Information broker has his own source."_

The further he moved into the unknown of the vast forest outside Cross Field, the thicker and denser the trees and bushes became. The moonlight barely shredded light past those leaves, it was lucky his vision had gotten used to the unsettling darkness. There was no path and the tree lines just kept on getting thicker. If anyone travel this far, they could easily get lost. No one bothered to go into these woods. And then there was Lux, trying to pass through the bandit territory, presumably he already reached it.

"_The hideout is deep inside the slum. I'm sure you're probably aware of that. But the fact is that is just a temporary location. Their main base is located at the foot of the mountain, to the east."_

"_That close?"_

"_Here, I'll show you on the map."_

Lux pulled out the map and looked at a big red circle. Ok, was he at this spot or was it that spot which is two degree north from the former? Confused, the boy raised the map to his eyes level and stared at it again, in full view. Lian literally drew a big circle on the mountain. No, this whole thing was hand drawn.

He could always rely on the sword devices hanging on his hip, but that would be too risky. He could give away his position to the bandits if he did that. The boy pressed on, crossing the forest until he stumbled on a sign of life.

"Smoke?"

He found it. The column of smoke rose up in the middle of nowhere, a faint smell of roasted meal filled his nostril. He arrived at a large cabin hidden in the leaves, half of the structure was built into the foot of the mountain.

"_These bandits have a name, they call themselves __**Black Bear**__."_

"…_."_

"_I'm serious! They have a tattoo, too. Each member of the gang."_

Observing activities from afar with a mini monocular, a gift from his former jobs working on a sailor ship, Lux scanned the surroundings.

…..a banner with the image of a black bear. Two around the bonfire, same tattoo on the arms. This is the place!

"_From what I heard, they are running a large-scale operation. Most importantly, they poured all their resources into this plan. Those who live in the heart of the slum are their target."_

"_What do they want with them?"_

"_Make profit by human trafficking and sell victims into slavery, some questionable individuals across the Kingdom's border are demanding human workforces for heavy labors. Those people can't do anything good with their lives nowadays, and with the new policy, they won't have much freedom in Cross Field anyway. it's a pity they have to end up like this…..um, Lux-kun. That's a wild expression you're having there. I didn't say anything that upset you, did I?"_

"_Tell me about the guards who are assigned to work in the slum."_

"_Alright, I have a simple term to describe them."_

"…_.."_

"_Corrupted."_

Lux moved quietly, reaching the window on the side of the cabin and climbed in after done checking any sign of danger. Fire on the torches barely lit the corridor, he saw cages, lots of them and they were all empty. These were used for a purpose, to keep animals at bay, or worst, to keep the unfortunate victims of these heartless men.

"_They were bribed…."_

"_And they will accept the money without an ouch of hesitation. The protection fees those bandits stole from the poor were for that purpose. They want the guards to turn a blind eye to everything they did, let them run amok. That's the state of the slum right now, it becomes worsen."_

Lux let out a heavy sigh.

Even though the world had turned better after the fall of the Old Empire, nothing really changed about the corruption of men. It was just like this place, it ran deep and he should have expected it. The boy had to wonder how the bandits were able to dig this far into the mountain as the environment shifted from wooden wall and floor into rock cave. Adding to his suspicion, the place was somewhat deserted, only a few criminals resided here, some walked around, some had fun with food and alcohol. They were a big gang, according to Lian's info. This made Lux felt uneasy, he already ventured this far into their main hideout, better be careful not to get detected.

Sneaking past the corridor, a door swung open behind Lux as a man walked out, a tattoo of black bear took a side of his face. Both froze once they made eye-contact, the criminal frowned, a pair of orbs filled by murderous intent widened as a drop of cold sweat glided on the boy's cheek.

"Hey, who are you!?"

"….ah….."

It was the only word Lux could utter before struggle took place.

"_Lux-kun, do you mind if I ask a question to satisfy my curiosity?"_

"_?"_

"_Why the sudden interest? I don't mean to be offense, but how does this info have anything to do with the Chore Prince?" _

"…_.."_

"_Taking your position into account, shouldn't you be taking care of yourself instead of worrying about those whose life have been unfortunate from the very beginning?"_

"…_.there is this family, a mother and a son…I want to help them."_

The silver haired boy dragged the unconscious body of the criminal who was taller than him a head, he hid him inside one of them empty rooms. A swift strike to the throat and a smash to the jaw by the pommel were enough. For precaution, he tied him up and covered his mouth with a piece of cloth.

Lux returned to the corridor again, flinched as he noticed something pounced off his feet. The handmade ball one of the children had given him as a payment for taking their request, it rolled on the ground, waiting to be picked up. Lux did, and this time, carefully putting it back inside the pocket on his belt. It must had fell off when he tried to knock out the man without alerting others.

"_This was crafted by the mother? Fascinating!"_

"_The flower and the pink petals she drew. I'm sure you recognize it."_

"_Well yes, I do. It looks very similar to the image from the old novels. One of a kind, originates from a lost kingdom that once resided in the east more than 100 years ago. The cherry blossoms. Hm? Now would you hold on a second, does this mean…!?"_

"_Former eastern nation __**Koto**__, obliterated by the Old Arcadia Empire. The mother, she is a descendant of the rare survivors who escaped the genocide."_

Lux knew.

He was fully aware of that fact just by watching her crafted the balls. A toy like that existed nowhere but mentioned in the culture of the lost nation. It was a traditional gift, often given to children as a goodwill wish for happy life. Another evidence was the way Riku addresses his mother.

"_The survivors of Koto fetch a much higher price on the black market compared to other slaves. Because they are the last one of their kind. Lux-kun, I hope you know what you're doing. You're the Kingdom's property, don't get ahead of yourself and play the hero."_

"_I'm prepared. Also, I'm not a hero, not even close."_

"_You should hurry then, the Black Bear always move fast."_

Hiding in the shadow, he waited until a group of four men trolled past the room. He listened to their conversation and discovered a critical piece of information. Their captives had been forced to march toward the forest, many Black Bear members led the way together with the leader. They were planning to finish the delivery as soon as possible.

…..no…

Lux understood what this meant. Riku's mother and the others were no longer here, that explained why the hideout was left nearly empty with only a few members stayed behind to watch the place. Even worse, they didn't seem to know the exact location of where the captives were heading to. The leader had kept the confidential info to himself. The boy quickly moved, to the other side of the corridor. He could feel the wind rushing against him, the path led to an open field on the other side of the mountain. Traces of footprint distorted the earth. They gathered victims here not long ago.

"_As far as the rumor goes underground, they have been really discreet about the whole deal. I can't help you more, wish you good luck. By the way, I have this book, are you interested in-"_

"_If I didn't make it in time, do you know where they will be heading to?"_

"_I'm afraid not."_

Words hung in the air as the conversation ended.

Lux sighed, staring off to the dense forest in front of him. The traces stopped once they went inside the tall grass. The bandits had progressed their plan many steps ahead.

He was already too late.

Something clicked, the sound of alarm echoed, screaming to his ears. They must had found the tied-up criminal in one of the rooms. Lux pushed back the urge to retreat, he turned around. His hand slowly moved to the hilt of his weapon.

It was about time he made full use of the white sword on his waist.

* * *

**Part 5**

In the morning, Airi couldn't prevent the shock from spreading on her expression.

"Nii-san was here!?"

"Yes. He came to the reception room and left a letter before taking his leave." Noct replied, calm as ever. "It's to be delivered directly to the Headmistress. He described it as an urgent request."

The little sister rushed straight to the principal office with all the confusion in her mind. She had no idea what was going on, her brother wasn't supposed to be here until next week. More importantly, if he planned to visit here again, he could have informed her. She could have welcomed him, unlike last time.

And they could have had a proper reunion!

If he had a request he would like to make to the principal, he could have come to her first. She was his association, that title was exclusive and official! Why did he contact Relie without going through her!?

….Nii-san is such a dolt!

The little sister missed her brother too much.

….

….

"Oh dear." Relie signed, rubbing her cheek once she finished reading the content of the letter Lux delivered. "I hope that child doesn't aware of this."

**Knock Knock Knock!**

Too late! Without waiting, the door guarding her office swung open faster than a gust of wind. An exhausted Airi stood in the path, she approached the young woman desk, staring down at her.

"Good morning, Airi-chan~!" Relie smiled and greeted the girl nonetheless. "Lux-kun paid his visit a moment ago."

The little silver haired girl took a deep breath to control her breathing.

"Yes, I am perfectly aware of that. What did he write in the letter?" She inquired, patient ran out for little Airi.

"What should I do, Airi-chan?" A melancholy sign escaped the woman's lip, she rested her chin on the back of her hands, elbows leaned on the desk. "Lux-kun openly expresses his feeling for this onee-chan. Now I can't help myself but to fancy more about him every night, how troublesome. And here I hoped that child and Phi could be happy together."

"You know that is not true." Airi deadpanned while Relie gave a chuckle. The little sister wasn't smiling at all. "Nii-san got himself into trouble, didn't he?"

The Headmistress took some time to explain. She knew too well that Airi would never live this down until the end of the day.

She had to leave out a few details that may bring Lux a harsh scolding in the future.

….

….

"Sharis, what is it that we are looking again?"

"A cabin hidden in the wood, somewhere right under the feet of this mountain."

A group of Drag-Knights was sent from the Academy later that day.

They received news from Relie that a group of bandits posed a threat to Cross Field citizens. Based on the information given by the Headmistress, the criminals were running a large-scale operation to oppress their victims in the slum. A map and a coordination were also provided, according to Relie, by an anonymous source.

Find the location and stop the threat, that was their mission.

"Sharis-senpai, we found it!" A member of the Knight Squadron called out to the girl. Her Drake pointed its metallic finger and others focused their line of sights toward a hidden spot.

"Woah!"

"This is…."

Upon reaching the ground, they looked at the sight in awe.

There was indeed a cabin in the wood. However, it was not in its original shape, not what they expected. Something smashed the entire structure to pieces. Floor shattered, door broke, the banner with the Black Bear image was torn to shred. Even the inside of the large cave that the cabin built into did not escape the horrendous fate. It collapsed, buried everything that lied beneath. Very close to their position, members of Black Bear were spotted. The girls quickly went into battle stances, that intention quickly faded away as surprise took over them. Those criminals' hands and legs were heavily restricted by multiple iron chains, it bound their bodies so tight their backs glued to the trees.

This whole scene made Sharis wonder. Who could have possibly caused this? It felt like the bandits had incurred the wrath of a beast to make it wreck their hideout while managed not to get killed. It didn't make much sense when one of them woke up from a trance and started screaming at the Drag-Knights for help.

One member of Syvalles approached him, sword device gripped tightly in her grasp, ready for anything.

"What happened here?" She ordered.

What returned was a fearful gaze as the criminal delivered the story. Last night, they were under attacked, he said. The only thing confused Sharis the most was the culprit, which he described in a shivering tone.

It was an enraged Wyvern.

* * *

**Part 6**

He heard the news.

Those Black Bear bandits had been captured by the Syvalles and put in jail, the one rightful place where they belonged. He was glad that Relie listened to his request and followed it immediately, yet a smile hardly crept onto his face. Lux let out a heavy sigh, the door to Lian's bookstore closed behind him. The whereabout of the victims was still unknown, even the routes they were taking. The information broker had yet to find any clue about them and the Black Bear's leader.

"Aren't you getting a little bit ahead of yourself, wanting to be petted more?"

"?"

The silver haired boy jolted, he didn't aware someone was nearby. The little kitten was rolling on the ground, affectionally showing its belly to a stranger. A pair of slim, tender hands rubbed those fur slowly, playing with it. The stranger snorted as they flicked that tiny wet nose. They wore a long black robe, the face hid away in the hood.

Lux couldn't tell whether they were a boy or a girl, the tone seemed fresh with youth, slightly roughed. But from the way the garment hugged their body, he could see those curvy lines around the waist. They had a small built body, smaller than him in term of shape.

…a girl?

"Oi, I'm talking to you."

The stranger suddenly raised their voice, they didn't turn to him and focused on the cat more. Those words weren't for Lux, they were for the little feline, aiming directly at it by force. The cat rolled up and made its way to Lux's feet, nudging its owner as it paid no more heed to the stranger.

"….ah….."

That soft mutter didn't slip by Lux's hearing, a hint of disappointment was clearly visible. The girl stood up and glared at him, as the moonlight shone past her, Lux only saw black within the hood.

"Um…"

"Hoh, the Dragon finally returns to its precious nest, huh." Lux attempted to start a conversation, yet the stranger had beat him to it, speaking in a derisive tone.

Oddly enough, it sounded familiar.

"Find anything useful?"

What was she talking about?

"No? Well, why do you even care about them, just move on. There's no point in saving street rats who can't fight for themselves. They are weak. It's a fact, it's been established from the moment they were born."

Lux tensed up, eyes narrowed. This stranger, she knew what he was doing!

"Who are you?" Lux asked.

"…."

Lower lip hang opened for a short moment before closing, frowned. A click of the tone and a hand slipped inside the robe gave Lux a sense of warning. Taking a step back, his right hand steadily reached toward the hilt of the white sword. Grey eyes observed her movements in caution.

To his surprise, a scroll was thrown at him, almost hit him in the face if he hadn't caught it. Lux blinked in confusion, glancing between the scroll and the girl in black robe.

"What is this?"

"See for yourself, don't ask question or you'll get on my nerve. Go ahead a play the hero like a little fool you are."

The girl went past him and entered the store.

"I'm not a hero." She stopped, head turned to look at the young former prince over her shoulder. "I simply want to help that family."

A snicker. Then a loud slam from the door.

Lux walked away along with his kitten, holding what seemed to be the only clue in the world that could help him put an end to this crime.

….

….

"You gave him the contract?" Still sitting in his desk with a stack of books, Lian raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said it's confidential."

"I changed my mind."

"But won't this sabotage your business with the leader of the Black Bear?"

"The operation is a failure from the beginning, that garbage of a man relies everything on money and strength. It's annoying to make a deal with that lowly trash, he'll get what's coming."

"Very well. Oh! If you don't mind, can you tell me why you give him the contract unconditionally?"

A glare sent shiver down Lian's spine.

"Or you can just sell me the info." He quickly rephrased.

"Because it's worth it. After a long time, the beast has grown dull, weak."

"?"

"This is just a tiny little encouragement to help the thing sharpens its fangs." The girl laughed.

A Dragon will run loose tonight.

"Ah, ah~, I'm so looking forward to this."

And she would love to see some bloodshed.

* * *

**Part 7**

The Kingdom of Atismata was a large country.

If someone from Cross Field tried to reach the border on foot, it would take them a few days.

Multiple carriages ventured through the darkness of forest, they had been moving non-stop for a day. Inside, a group of people in ragged clothes sat, their limbs chained to the floor, weighted down by iron balls. They were prisoners, deemed as slaves, those who had resigned their fates to the cruelness of their captors.

A Drag-Ride was moving in front of the carriages, acting like a vanguard to ensure that nothing could stop them and remove any obstacle that stands in the way. It also served as the only light source. No torch or fire was allowed, the surrounding was pitch dark, accompanied by the chilling coldness of the wood.

As the wheels rolled in silence, a faint thud echoed. An old man collapsed on his head, exhausted. His body had not consumed any food or water for two days. One bandit on the driver seat turned his necks to check.

"Boss, this one looks like he is dying." He called out to the man in the Drag-Ride's cockpit.

"Move him to the back, hide the corpse. I don't want those slave traders to give me the dirty look when they examine the goods."

"Tch, why do I have to do this." The bandit mumbled. "Come on! Try to move your feet and get up!"

The old man barely breathed. His throat dried, his voice couldn't come out to help himself. The young criminal groaned, he pushed the man up, lifting him over his shoulder and walked to the back. Like a sandbag, he threw him to the floor and went back to the driver seat without battling an eye. The old man choked, coughing rapidly.

Other captives averted their eyes, they couldn't do anything to help him. Those heart-wrenching noises won't stop. A mother reached out to massage the elder's back, easing the pain.

"…..th…..a….n…..k….y….o.u….."

The old man gasped, minutes passed until his eyes went dim. The mother tried her best to hold back the tears. She failed, the ghastly pale skin on her cheeks damped with glittering drops. Why did this happen to them?

"…Riku…." She whispered her son's name.

In the wake of violence on that night, the child tried to protect his mother when the poor were dragged out of their homes and taken without the right to resist. She told him to run away and he didn't, words alone could not break through that child's determination.

Soon, it happened. The door broke down, the mother watched in fear as these cruel men shoved her child to the walk to get to her. Riku did everything to stop them, but a child could only do so much. All it took was a punch to the face and darkness took over.

Now, the mother had no idea if her son was alive or not. Everything seemed meaningless. Without medicine, her illness had grown worse. Perhaps, it won't be long until this body gives up. She would gladly see that as a chance to escape this fate.

The carriage stopped. So sudden it made everyone inside felt over.

"Hey, what is that?" The leader questioned no one as he looked at the sky.

The mother shifted her weakened vision to the hole on top the carriage. She could see the calm moon….

And something else.

The shadow of a humanoid shape. No, it resembled human and it had wings, the cold air was torn apart in its path as it raced toward them like a storm. Within a blink of an eye, the Drag-Ride in front of them exploded.

It just punched through the chest of the Drag-Ride. Claws like hand caught the unconscious leader of the Black Bear and dropped him on the ground. She heard the sound of bones shattering, then the screaming. She saw the purple light outlined the shape of the creature and a pair of furious red orbs staring back at her.

All things trembled in fear, what stood before them was a legendary beast.

A jet-black Machine Dragon.

* * *

**Part 8**

Black, everything he saw was black.

Then there was a scribble noise, it nonchalantly rang in the air, next to his ears. Eyelids slowly opened to greet an unfamiliar ceiling, the young child let out a soft gasp. The pillow and the bed felt warm, comfortable. This sensation was new to him.

"You awake."

A voice grabbed his attention, the scratching stopped at the same time. Riku turned to see abnormally cold greyish eyes looked at him, filled with relief.

"Lux nii-chan."

Big brother Lux Arcadia placed the pencil between the pages of a small note and put it back to the pouch attached to his belt. The silver haired boy had just finished reading the list of odd jobs he needs to do for the day. The little kitten was seeking comfort by lying flat on the bed sheet. Pushing the seat closer to the bed, Lux leaned forward. Concern was all over his face despite the thin smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hurt."

"You'll be okay." The former prince chuckled awkwardly. Maybe he shouldn't had picked that question to ask.

"Lux nii-chan, I can't feel one of my leg. What happened?"

"Try not to move around too much, your body is recovering from injuries."

Riku hummed and nodded. Only a short moment later, his shoulder shifted. The child's eyes widened in horror as memories of that night floored his mind.

"Okaa-san!? Everyone! They were-"

"They are fine." Lux's instant reply brought silence to the room. The child stared at him, panic state changed to surprise.

"Eh?"

"They're saved and sound. Some time ago, a team of Drag-Knights from the academy already captured all the perpetrators. That's how the word goes around."

Lux smiled, he leaned back, reaching toward the curtain which covering the patient bed next to theirs. As he gently pulled it out of the way, Riku saw his mother resting on the bed. Her eyes were closing, her chest rose up and down at a steady pace. The woman appeared more content, her pale skin no longer carried the extremely pale shade due to illness.

"The nurses have already checked on your okaa-san's condition, her illness will fade in no time."

Riku wanted to cry after hearing that. He cared about her, so much he had resolved to become a thief as long as he can have the money to improve her situation. Now, it was like a dream comes true.

"Thank you." The child sniffed. "Thank you so much, Lux nii-chan!"

"About what?" Eyebrows raised with slight confusion.

"For rescuing me…..and okaa-san."

"I didn't do much."

"Liar, I know a certain Chore Prince brought me here. The doctor said so."

"Wait, you've already awoke before this!?" The child shook his head, smiling sheepishly at the boy who scratched his cheek in awkward. "You're joking!?"

"Your voice was really loud back then, you know."

"I thought you were unconscious." Lux sighed. "I was worried to dead since everyone went missing and you were trapped underneath the house."

"Ah, that. Our house is gone, isn't it?"

"…..yeah….."

"Where are we going to live?"

"Cross Field will hold a charity. The funding received from the event is going to be used to buy materials and build a home for those involved in the incident."

"When?"

"Soon enough, you only need to get well for the time being."

The cat yawned, stretching all four limbs before crawling toward Riku and rubbing its head against the boy's hand.

"Lux nii-chan."

"Hm?"

"Why did you have to go this far for us? This isn't about a request, right?" The child asked, innocent but curious orbs focused on him.

"It's not. It never was." Lux smiled. "Maybe I just want to help."

"That's all?"

"Well, there could be another reason. I'm not entirely sure, but…." The silver haired former prince glanced at the woman, who was resting next to them. "Your mother….she reminds me of my own."

"Lux nii-chan's okaa-san?"

"When we were driven out the court by the royal family, it became a great shock to her. Then there was the problem with grandfather's sentence in prison. Eventually, she fell into depression." Lux frowned, a hint of sadness in his tone. Even as a little child, Lux could tell. His mother's health had also depleted, badly affected by this sudden turn of event. "But mother wouldn't let that hinders her care for her children. She tried her best to move on and lived a quiet life that didn't involve with the complex system of the Empire. Once again, I can say with confidence that I'm glad Airi and I were raised by her."

"What happened to her?"

Lux started to say something, but his mouth closed, staring into Riku's eyes for a moment. The suspense that followed made the child feel like an hour has gone by.

"…."

With a soft smile, Lux pointed a finger at the ceiling. No, beyond that. He pointed at the sky.

"She became one of the stars."

Riku blinked, he had yet to grasp the meaning. Lux continued to smile, mere words were enough to speak volume of things. Soon after, a gentle hum from the mother told them that she, too, woke up from a decent slumber.

* * *

**Part 9**

She laughed, then she kicked the chair. It broke and made a dent on the wall.

"Ah, ah, ahh. What a disappointment~."

She expected blood. There was none.

She wanted a pile of corpse. No one was killed.

She hoped there will be a fatal injury. Only a broken arm of the Black Bear's leader.

The girl in black robe ran a hand across her face, eyes twisted into spirals of insane madness. Blue and grey orbs glimmered in the darkness.

"Oh, I get it. It seems this whole event wasn't enough to awaken the **[Inner Dragon]**."

She needed to discover it, the right trigger. The corrected emotional stage that can drive out the beast. Yes, that should it!

The girl collapsed on the bed, facing the ceiling. She grabbed a book from the table nearby and flipped the page. Her lip formed into a grin as she flipped the pages. The next time they cross path, she would have plenty of troubles waiting for him.

Now, aside from reading book, what else she could do to spend this non-violence, boring day?

* * *

**Part 10**

Lux decided to leave for the next odd job.

Before closing the door behind him, he sneaked a glance through the gap, at the mother and her child embracing one another. Surprisingly, the group of children, who played with him on multiple occasions, appeared. He didn't expect them to tackle him in the middle of the hall to ask in which room Riku was resting.

"Thank you, Lux nii!"

"Thank you so much, Lux onii-chan!"

"For helping Riku!"

A whole package of gratitude brought a red shade to Lux's face. They were being too loud in the hospital. As the energetic group rushed inside to see Riku, the son of the carpenter gave him a thumb up. He responded with the same gesture.

It became a soul-stirring moment for everyone. They were happy to know he was doing well while Riku made a face that showed his restraint of the urge to cry cracked like glass. Friendships once again reconnected. Knowing that the presence of the Chore Prince was not required for this kind of atmosphere, Lux gently closed back the door and left without saying goodbye.

There was no need for parting words, he would meet them again around town. And those kids would make sure to pull him into their little fun time with all sort of joyful entertainment during breaks.

….let's see, the next job is…..

The boy took out his note and hurried to the next address. On his way, a certain rumor emerged among the citizens of Cross Field, spreading from whisper to small talk. They said that a Hero has returned after long years of disappearing from the world. It became such a topic that until days later, people would often talk about.

The silver haired boy gave no moment when he was asked to share his thought about it by a perverted bar owner, he simply shrugged it off with a small smile. Because deep down, he knew he wasn't the Hero everyone talked about, he was never one to bear such title. He was known by the nickname errand boy, Kingdom's property among the people.

As he ran across the streets, jumping to another rooftop below the sunny sky to make a quick delivery, that boy, like usual, enjoyed doing his odd jobs. He kept on to his belief, he was happy to help others without a shadow of a doubt.

Lux Arcadia was simply himself.

He was just the Chore Prince.

…..

**Arc 1: **_**The Chore Prince**_

**END**

/

* * *

**Author's Note: It's done! The first arc has finally reached the end.**

**Somehow, I feel like I rushed this chapter a lot and left unnecessary details all over the content. I just hope the pacing didn't annoy you as much as there is almost no action screen. Even though the "Jet-black Machine Dragon" made an appearance, there is still no action! And I'll be honest, I am a novice at writing action sequence. For this type of mecha fantasy world, I'm completely new. Let's pray it will be decent in the future updates(?).**

**When the sketch of the whole story came up, I planned to finish this arc with only 3 chapters but I had second about it. If I have to get rid of all the ideas in my mind and think about how I want to apply them to the world of Saijaku Bahamut, 3 chapters won't cut it for introducing the setting of an alternative universe, especially Lux and his motivation, which is slightly different in my head and the one from the canon storyline. That's why a friendly group of children pops into the story. I want to see a goofball that can give his own opinion to everything while at some point, letting himself being thrown around by the events only to pick the right moment to strike (Why do I have a feeling I already made this Lux a bit reckless than usual?).  
**

**As a reminder, Lux Arcadia will not attend the Royal Officers Academy. The lovable Headmistress Relie onee-chan can pull any trick and he will find a way around to deal with it. He will only accept requests and do odd jobs as the Chore Prince. I also want to explore this position. As you probably noticed, i******n this story,** he has a lot of connections around Cross Field, and this aspect has never been touched in the light novel due to the focus on the main cast. These connections are driving factors that I can use to apply more ideas revolve around Lux's development and the world of Saijaku Bahamut. For this case, he was reminded of his mother through another family. He wants to help them, it is the reason that drives him to the extend of doing a one-man raid on the Black Bear (I mentioned this Lux is different, didn't I?). Odd jobs, Drag-Rides, Ruins and the ancient Empire, I think I'm going to have fun writing these scenarios in my head when I have the time. In another words, expect more OCs and this doesn't mean the main cast won't get the attention.**

**That's about it.**

**Share your opinion on the chapter if you please, criticism is also greatly appreciate. I will see you in the next note.**


	7. Chapter 7: Suspicious-Inevitable

****Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.****

* * *

**Arc 2: **_**A Quiet Awakening**_

**~Chapter 7~**

**Suspicious_Inevitable**

**Part 1 **

"Lux-kun, how do you feel after coming back to Cross Field?"

"?"

Lux stared at the older woman with good physique. Confusion spread on his face as the meaning of the sudden question had yet to be clear in his head.

"It has been a long time, hasn't it? Do you see any changes in this town that you're unfamiliar with?"

"I think this place is the same as always." Lux tugged on the apron he was wearing, cleaning the dried sweat on his forehead. "I didn't really have the time to pay attention to everything so I'm not quite sure the details."

The table in the kitchen was filled with dirty dishes and the woman brought in another stack of them. Lux took some and dipped them into the washbowl, he poured a bucket of water to raise the water level and mixed the liquid together with soap.

…this much should be enough.

Rolling his sleeves, he began washing the dishes. One of the cooks were busy preparing a new set of orders and customized them in accordance to their customers' needs.

The New Kingdom anniversary was coming closer, only a few more weeks. A considerable amount of people from everywhere in the country already made their way here to make the preparation. There was also a rumor about the Queen of the New Kingdom of Atismata. They said her Majesty will make her appearance to the citizens on that day.

Something like that was an extremely rare case. The upcoming anniversary is going to be a blast.

"This year will be a very busy time, eventful indeed." The woman was looking forward to it. "Lux-kun, do you have any other plans when the day comes?"

"I would properly indulge myself in a ton of works like usual." Lux replied with a wry smile.

"I see. Well, last year you weren't here so I'll let you in on a detail. There's going to be a special event coming from us, we will have a lot more requests for you during that time."

"A special event?" That tickled his curiosity.

"Yes, my place and some others will celebrate the day by holding a cooking competition. We did the same content last year and it was a big success! Everyone really enjoyed it!" The woman claimed in excitement.

Lux can see the fondness in the woman's sparkling eyes the more she talked about it. From the look of things, this would be a very interesting occasion for the boy to look forward to.

…..that sounds really fun.

"Excuse us."

The backdoor leading into the kitchen opened. From the gap, two females entered Lux and the woman's view.

"I brought some boxes of wine." The girl from the liquor store carried a big bag as she walked in.

"I have the new pack of egg and ingredients for you, Mary-san." The middle sister from a certain new restaurant followed.

The moment they walked in, the sister slipped. Her balance lost when the foot accidently hit the side of the door frame. She fell forward, the bag of ingredients and the pack of egg knocked off her grasp. The girl closed her eyes on reflex, waiting for the hurtful impact.

***Thud***

It didn't hurt.

The girl wondered why the texture of the floor would be this soft and warm. Both eyes slowly opened to the view, she looked at the handsome feature of the Chore Prince who was supporting her body as she fell into his chest. Each of his hands holding the pack of egg and the groceries bag.

"N-Nice catch!"

The girl from the liquor store was amazed at the quick reaction. In an instance, Lux made the move when the middle sister of three's lost her footing by the door. As if seeing through the trajectory of the objects, Lux caught the egg before the solid floor cracked it and reached the bag before it went straight into one of the boiling pots. Although he did a great job at preventing the kitchen from becoming a mess, the former prince forgot one thing. His hand was wet with soap.

The pack of egg slipped off his hand.

"Ah."

"Phew, I caught it!"

Luckily, the woman with good physique named Mary managed to grab it in time. That was a close call, Lux let out a sigh in relief, he then stared at the girl, whose face flustered like a strawberry. She has yet to regain her balance and still leaned on him.

"Umm…would you?"

"Y-Yes! T-Thank you!"

Everyone went back to where they left off.

…

…

The positions switched, Lux was serving as a waiter while others do the dishes washing and cook. This reminded him of the previous time when he worked at the newest opened restaurant, the number of customers and orders were immensely off the chart.

"Nyaa~." The little stray cat meowed in the corner.

….try harder.

If Lux himself could understand animal language, he wished that cat could say something encouraging like that.

"Order for table 4!"

"Here!"

Receiving the tray of food, the boy brought it outside.

….ah.

Lux halted his step as he looked past the crowd of customers. Table number 4, the person who was sitting at table number 4 was the kind of person he didn't expect to meet again this soon.

"Hm, oh well would you look at that! Isn't it the useless Chore Prince?"

It was the haughty man, the one who caused a ruckus in front of the liquor store some days ago. He was part of the group of individuals that held a deep grudge against the Old Arcadia Empire. Lux made a mental note to himself to act carefully around this man. There was a good chance he may once again became a target of his verbal abuse.

The man grinned as he glared at the former prince, it looked like that possibility was about to become a reality.

"Where is my order, hm?" He asked him, using the harsh, superior tone.

Lux didn't reply, he merely provided the service by giving him a polite bow and placed the dish on the table. The man raised his chin and looked down at the newly served food.

"Tch, this one stinks because your hand is touching it." The man rudely crunched his nose. He covered it and waved a hand around to clear the air. "You corrupted being need to wash your limbs with soap before serving someone else food, do you understand?"

Lux tried his best to put on a smile, he never thought this person would go to this extent. His hatred toward him must had been very deep.

"What are you smiling at me like an idiot!? I want season on my table right now! What a terrible service!"

The man slammed his hand on the face of the table. His raising voice brought attention to those sat near, they stared at him in annoyance. Lux was willing to make this quick before the man's attitude disturbed others and caused trouble for Mary.

"Here is what you asked for, dear customer." There was no sarcasm in his voice, he spoke purely out of politeness.

Suddenly, an object hit the floor. Below the table was a spoon.

"Oops, my bad. I dropped it by accident." Pointing a finger at Lux, he gave order. "Kneel down, pick it up and get me a new one."

He did that on purpose, Lux knew. Unfortunately, he was in no position to refuse the haughty man's demand as he was a customer of his current job. Lux never wanted to argue back or do anything that could potentially damage the owner's reputation. Just as Lux bent down to grab the thing, water dripped on his head.

The lively surrounding went silent.

"Sorry, brat. I slipped my hand again." The man said so simply. As cruel as he was, he poured his drink on top Lux's head. The stream of liquid drenched the boy's hair and shirt. "Get me a new cup of water, too."

"…."

Lux held his breath, calm. He already got used to this kind of treatment from these people.

…I'll manage somehow.

Hopefully, because he had no other choices but to put up with it.

***Bam***

"Here is your spoon and water."

The girl from the liquor store brought a new set to him, she put up a service smile. From the dark aura emitting around her, anyone could tell that she was furious. Next to her, the owner Mary-san was ready to solve this disturbance.

Before Lux could say anything, the girl from the liquor store grabbed his arm and led him back inside the kitchen.

* * *

**Part 2**

At the end of the day, Lux finally finished the last request from the woman with good physique, Mary.

"Honestly, that man! Does he have no dignity at all!?"

"It's alright."

"It's not alright, Lux. You shouldn't waste your time on that kind of people."

"Yes, ignore that man."

He couldn't really do that if the man himself was a customer, could he?

"Do you have any more job after this?"

The boy shook his head at the question.

"This should be the last one for today's schedule."

The eating house was closed. Lux sat together with the rest of the staff in the back.

Dinner had been ready. The girl from the liquor store and the middle sister of three were playing with the cat. The cat laid on the table, facing its belly to the ceiling to enjoy the tender sensation from their hands.

"Nyaa~."

It really enjoyed their touch. Smart move, kitty.

"By the way, I'm still wondering."

"What is it?"

"How did Mary-san deal with that man? I saw him ran really fast across the street when I took out the trash."

The man was extremely pale at that time, too.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. She just spoke some magic words to him."

Lux gulped. What kind of magic words made a person run for their life?

Upstairs, the sound of footsteps lightly echoed. Mary headed down and approached Lux with a small pocket in her hand.

"Here is your payment, Lux-kun. Thank you for your help today."

"Appreciate it, kid." The chef nodded his head.

"N-No, thank you for requesting me." The young boy smiled wryly, rubbing the back of his head. "Well then, I'll be going."

"Eh? Lux-san, you're not going to stay for dinner?"

Lux turned back, both eyes widened at the unexpected offer.

Because of his position and status as a criminal, Lux was fully aware that such courtesy from these nice people is not something he should take for grant. Instead of accepting it, all he could do was respectfully decline, he wouldn't want to take advantage of their kindness.

"Sorry, I might be a bother to everyone so-"

"Don't be so modest now." The woman called Mary cut in. "Come here and sit down."

"Umm….no, I-"

Lux glanced to the cat, it was already having its own meal on the floor.

"Considering what just happened, we know you have one or few things that needs to be let out instead of keeping to yourself."

"I'm…..not actually…."

"Lux-kun, you're not belittle yourself because of that man, are you?"

"!?"

Was he really acting that way?

"Here." The girl from the liquor store patted on the chair next to her. "Stay with us, help yourself with the meal. We only eat together like this on some occasions."

By no means Lux's life as a Chore Prince was filled with bad things brought upon him by those who resented the Old Empire.

However, aside from darkness, light also came along. In his time doing various odd jobs, he was lucky to have met these kind individuals. They treated him equally regardless of his status as the former prince of a once existed Empire of tyranny.

The warmth on his cheek, Lux unconsciously smiled as he felt it. He was very grateful for these people had welcome him with opened heart.

"…thank you…"

On that evening, the food tasted better than usual.

* * *

**Part 3**

"You are so adorable."

"Heh?"

Surprised at the sudden compliment, the young healthy boy turned to the girl from a certain liquor store. The little kitty rubbed its head to her arm in affection. She was also having fun with the feline in her embrace.

Did those words earlier mean for him? No, she wasn't talking about him. Those words directed at the cat.

Noticing the gaze from her side, the girl glanced at him. That action was seen through by Lux and he quickly shifted his vision away before their eyes made contact.

"Lux-kun is adorable, too~."

"Heh!?" He jolted in panic, blushing a little.

The girl giggled with a free hand gently covered her lip, his reaction to her teasing was cute. The two walked the street in silence, the sky above had gone dark yet brightened by many stars.

It was not that late into the night. However, the streets of local districts mostly devoid of people. The others already left Mary's kitchen and went separate way, only Lux and the girl who had offered him a room in her father's house to stay the night sometime in the past.

When the moon rose up high, the deserted atmosphere of Cross Field was not an ideal period for a frail young girl to walk alone on the street. Lux decided to offer her an escort.

Once they reached her home, Lux would go on his way.

"Lux-kun is really kind after all. Won't you agree with this onee-san, little kitty?" She tapped on the cat's nose, the pochette she wore with a strap swayed in the small breeze.

The silver haired boy stared at the moon.

A beautiful night, it seemed.

Something about it kept his thought occupied. It reminded him a fragment of the distant past, when Lux's family was living within the court of the Imperial Capital.

…_**..Lux onii-sama, let's go see the moon together…..**_

….

…

…_**..what are you doing? Dear little brother…..**_

….

….

…_**you are weak…..**_

Illusory voices from long time ago resounded in his head. Even till now, they were still there in his mind. Why were they always choose this moment to speak? Why did it have to be the time when he feels at ease the most with this life?

"Lux-kun…."

"?"

She called him. Her voice shivered with a hint of nervous.

Under the dim light of the moon, a shadowy figure was there in the corner of an alley. It slowly moved. There weren't any streetlamps in this part of the district, they could hardly figure who was it or what was it.

The figure hobbled toward them. Lux stood in front the girl, ready to grasp the white sword on his waist. They waited until it came closer.

"Would you…..care…..to bu…y me….a..nother dr..in..k?"

They stood dumbfounded at a drunk man, an empty bottle in his hand. The strong fragrant of alcohol went into Lux's nostril as he moved past them, forgetting the question he just asked.

The drunk man collapsed and fell asleep, the bottle rolled along the pavement. Nothing serious happened.

"That startled me, I thought a thief was going to attack us." The girl let out a sigh in relief.

"Well, it's fortunate that we didn't end up in such situation."

Lux went over to the man, he helped him lean on the wall. His whole clothes reeked the same heavy stench, enough to make Lux whine. The long overcoat he wore was made of leather, some parts of it were sewed with another fabric, slightly dirty. The color already faded with time, hardly recognizable due to it not being carefully kept for a long time.

Fort City rarely had any homeless, maybe this drunk man wandered here from another part of Cross Field.

"Mister, you rest here. I'll be back."

"…leave…m….e…alo…ne.." The drunk man grunted. He couldn't find the strength to open those eyelids. "…dam..n…them…..selli….ng….me….ou..t."

Lux couldn't make out what he was mumbling. They left him there and continued.

…..

…...

"Lux-kun, when you said you'll be back, are you going to help that person find his home in that state?"

"I figure I just need to rent a room somewhere and have him rest there."

"Eh?" The girl was astonished. "With your money?"

The boy nodded.

"You worked hard to earn it so you could pay the debt, you should at least let him pay." She was worried.

"I appreciate for you concern. But you already know about me." A warm smile spotted on that charming face. "I'm happy knowing that I can help others."

It was a simple answer she would get from him.

It was simple enough to understand the personality of the silver haired boy who was called the Chore Prince.

He was different compared to the deceased members of the royal family.

"And here you won't admit that you're different." Mumbled quietly to herself, the girl looked away to hide her reddened cheek.

"What?"

"Never mind. By the way, you only got back to Cross Field recently, right? Did you travel the land due to requests from people?"

The topic of their conversation took a sudden change.

"Yes, it was something like that."

"What kind of place have you been to?"

"I've been to various places, there is not much to tell since I only focused on doing my odd jobs."

"I see, such a pity." The girl from the liquor store sighed. "I would love to hear more about your journey though."

His story was not that interested to tell, Lux told her. The girl pouted. Even so, hearing him tell her one or two things he learned of the world outside Cross Field should be a good story in itself. She hoped he would approach the topic that way. The talk ended, the atmosphere around the two was still as the night.

It was awkward just by walking like this.

"Ah, that's it."

The girl remembered something. The idea she came up should be able to progress the conversation further.

"Lux-kun, have you heard certain rumors around the city?"

She saw a big question mark on the boy's head, the way he looked at her with a confused look was enough to prove that he has no clue about it.

There were many rumors circulated around Cross Field every day. Basically, he didn't know which rumor she was talking about.

"They said it like this."

There was a small region near the border of the New Kingdom, it became a territory of the bandits, who somehow got their hand on the ancient weapons known as Drag-Ride. Due to the difference in strength and numbers, even the elite squad from the garrison, which served as the defense line to protect the country from threats such as the Abyss, didn't put up much of a fight.

Many towns and villages within that region had to live in difficulty due to the bandits robbed all valuable things, taking every resource they desired. People who lived there had tried to call for help from the capital in hope to put an end to the hellish situation.

Somehow, rescue won't come. Several weeks ago, this rumor was the topic of most of the talks in the district.

"Then one day, a hero saved them."

Out of nowhere, that person abruptly appeared. Like a lone wolf stood tall in the battlefield, he charged toward the bandits and swiftly defeated them all by himself. The enemies weren't able to hurt him due to his unique fighting technique.

"They said his Drag-Ride moved like the flow of water. So smooth and so fast that the bandits couldn't react in time. It was the reason why he could defeat and capture them effortlessly."

Lux raised an eyebrow, rumors tent to be exaggerated in a lot of ways.

In the end, that mysterious hero vanished without a trace. No one knew who he was or where he came from. Then, there was another rumor.

"This one comes from the slum. Everyone talked about it just recently."

In the dead of night, people were abducted. A nefarious scheme carried out by the infamous bandit gang called the Black Bear. Those who got kidnapped were made a slave and they would be sold at the border of the Kingdom.

"I guess you know the ending."

As they were transported through the dense woods, a mysterious Drag-Ride appeared. In its quake of fury, the leader of the gang was defeated, and the victims regained their freedom when the Knight Squadron came to rescue.

"Those who were saved claimed that they saw a black dragon."

There were many speculations, each inspired endless possibility about the true identity of that hero.

Some would think.

Some would believe.

Some would say.

Most of the hints pointed to a single figure.

"The Black Hero."

The legendary Drag-Knight who was responsible for the fall of the Old Arcadia Empire and the birth of the New Kingdom of Atismata. That was the name that went around, grabbing the whole world attention.

"What do you think, Lux-kun?"

"I think it's great that the region was saved from the bandits and the slaves were freed. Now they can live a peaceful life."

"Not that, I meant the Black Hero."

The boy blinked, he looked away for a short moment before returning to her gaze again.

Black Hero – no, in the beginning, what is a hero?

"They say a hero is a figure born from the idea of the majority." He took a deep breath. "Regardless of the good deeds he committed to save others, you will never know the nature behind those actions. Everything they did, it comes from the depth of their own self-interest. In the end, a hero is just a position everyone claims you to be, an arrangement."

The girl tilted her head to the side, she had yet to comprehend the meaning of his words.

"To me, it is more or less a title you can pass down to anyone."

"You mean anyone can become a hero if they want to?"

"Ahahaha, I guess you can say it like that."

"Hmm~. This is a first, I never expect Lux-kun to have such thought about the hero. Whoever they are, they are still ordinary human to begin with. If they tried to protect something, they would already be a hero to those whom they protect." The girl hummed. "Then, if that is the case. Right now, Lux-kun is escorting me to my home."

She walked ahead of him. A grin rose on her face.

"That means you're my hero, isn't that right?"

"I don't think I'm qualified to be called as such." Lux quickly denied that idea.

Later, the two parted way as they arrived at her home.

Alone with the cat on the streets, the Chore Prince looked at the moon while on his way to the drunk man. He thought back to the conversation.

Hero was more or less a title that can be passed down to any person.

"….as long as it is for others' convenience…" Lux continued those words with a faint smile.

Unbeknown to anyone, behind that expression, lingered a tinge of sadness.

* * *

**Part 4**

At the old spot where the drunk man supposed to stay, Lux saw no one.

….where did he go?

Thinking the man could haven woken up from his drunken state and moved to somewhere else, Lux continued to search around. It didn't take long, he discovered the man walking unsteadily at the outskirt of the third district.

It was a desolate place at night. They had already crossed past the area where there were signs of people. What could a drunk man want to do in a place like this? If possible, maybe this was where he is normally taking shelter.

The man kneeled next to the wall. One flow of censoring rainbow streamed from his mouth.

"Do you need help?"

Lux extended a hand toward the man. Without the need to look, he knocked it away.

"Stay away…..from me." His voice got clearer.

Finished wiping the stains around his face, the man turned to Lux. For some reason, his eyes opened wide.

"Ah. Ah! That hair…..that color! STAY AWAAAYYYYYY!"

That scream caught Lux's off guard. In a state of panic, the man violently shoved him away. The cat on his head fell and ran off. Hurry to pick himself up, Lux saw him ran off to the distance. He noticed the way that person looked at him, it filled with pure horror when he saw the silver color of his hair.

….could it be…..!?

He chased after the suspicious man, he seemed to know more about the features of his lineage. An information that could prove to be very important to the last survivors of the Arcadias.

"Please wait!"

"Don't come any closer!"

In term of speed, Lux was faster. He was able to catch up with him. The man was too afraid to the point he won't listen to anything. He ran into a dead end. The dusty wall of the old abandoned buildings blocked his escape path. He squealed a terrifying voice when Lux stood at the other end. The shadow underneath his feet slowly stretched toward the man as he shortened the gap.

The man gritted his teeth, his hand went inside the coat, taking out a sharp knife. He was about to stake everything on the line to survive. He was about to be reckless.

"Please calm down. I'm not going to hurt you, mister." Lux held up both arms, showing the man that he was harmless.

"UuuoooohhHHHHHH!"

The knife thrust forward. It was not enough to persuade someone whose sanity was on the verge of breaking. Lux dodged the moment a slash came. He took a step back, aiming for the weapon. When that man with the knife was an arm length away, he caught the wrist of the hand which was holding the knife while kicked the wall on his side to create a momentum.

Despite having a small built body, Lux possessed efficient strength and stamina. He jumped over the man's shoulder. Using his full body weight pinned on the back of the man, Lux's other hand grabbed onto the collar, restraint him.

The man struggled greatly. After a while, he gave in to resignation and cried.

"WHY!? I did my part! I did as you told and they sold me out! All that left is for **Velvet** to take back the Kingdom! I don't want to be a part of this anymore!"

Lux frowned.

Did he hear it right?

Take back the Kingdom!?

"What do you mean by that?" Lux urged.

"LET ME GOOOOO! UWAAAHHHHHHH!"

The man wept, saying anything more would not improve the circumstance. He drowned in the depth of despair. He was in no condition to answer Lux's question. What was it that made him afraid and shaking this much?

Lux released his grasp on the desperate man. Being let go, the man took that as a cue to make a mad dash and ran away.

The Chore Prince quietly followed behind.

* * *

**Part 5**

The direction to which that suspicious man was heading led to the church site.

A place where numerous debris scattered around the deserted abandoned buildings and houses. It was destroyed due to a battle against an Abyss occurred about some years ago. All that remained were broken outer walls and trees in every direction, a devastated ruin in the middle of Cross Field.

This place was at least 1 km away from the populace area.

The large entrance led into the church was half opened. Lux peeked inside, staying cautious of anything that moves. He saw several holes on the ceiling, the battle of years ago had turned this place to its current state, and yet the structure stood with no sign that showed it may collapse.

The central nave that stretched passed the transept contained broken pews. Spider webs and dust hang on the wall. Looking at the real of the church, Lux could see the moonlight infiltrated through the shattered window.

Now the big question was….

…what is that things?

At the highest spot on the ceiling, a cocoon-shaped object hanged over the wall. No, it glued into the stone. It looked like a giant egg. Inside, something moved, waiting to crack the vessel.

Staring at it from below, a bad feeling hit Lux. His senses were tingling under the presence of something, which felt quite familiar to him.

***Crack***

A loud noise entered his hearing. It came from behind the altar.

To Lux's surprise, a hidden stairway was right underneath the floor. One thin layer of concrete covered it just now, someone lifted it out of the way as they decided to go this way.

…must be that man's doing.

Tracing the path, he arrived at what seemed to be a panic room. The fluttering movements of a single fire within the oil lamp barely brightened the whole place. A big map spread on the wall, it read Cross Field. Not only that, various printed newspapers were pinned on it.

Political circumstances.

Military power.

The Queen of Atismata.

The Four Great Nobles.

Lux frowned. There was even an article wrote about the Royal Officer Academy. The place where Relie became the headmaster. Confusion consumed Lux's mind for a moment.

What was the purpose of these things being presented here?

What was the connection?

Everything looked like a war room.

Lux continued to look at some documents scattered around the place. Perhaps he didn't know or didn't even notice. The dark corner of that room where the light never reached, a part of the wall was false. It was another secret passage leading outside.

In that place, an imminent threat awaited in silence.

* * *

**Part 6**

"Airi, what can you tell me about your Nii-san?"

"Eh? What are you asking me, Noct?"

Steam covered all sight, the younger sister of Lux whose skin heated up by the hot bath became even redder.

"Yes. I notice. Whenever your brother is the topic of our conversation, you always speak of him in a very passionate way." The short black-haired girl with a stoic expression explained calmly. "Nowadays, Airi seems happier after your Nii-san has returned to Cross Field. It's about time I dig deeper into the details."

What details?

Airi could not tell which direction the talk was heading to. However, she didn't like the curious look in Noct's eyes.

"I'm just relieve to see him recovered from the fever, that is all." Facing the other way, the girl replied.

"I smell an interesting topic, let me join in please!"

A cheerful voice echoed from the other side of the steam. The group of girls who had just finished their training rushed into the public bathroom. The surface of the hot water made a wavy-like motion when two girls entered the same bath with Airi and Noct, letting their youthful bodies embraced by the comforting sensation.

After an long exhausting period piloting Drag-Ride in the training field, their spirits were effectively replenished.

"What are you two talking about?" **Tillfur Lilmit** asked in her usual light tone.

"Yes. It's about Airi's favorite Nii-san."

"Noct, please don't put it like that!"

"You mean Lux Arcadia? If this is about that boy with a cute-looking face, I'm in!"

Next to her was **Sharis Barthshift**, a third-year student whose appearance possessed a curvaceous body figure. A towel wrapped around her slender waist as she sprinkled the water to her neck. Fingers traced along the smooth skin of her collar bone.

"Oh, so is it about him!"

For some reason, Tillfur the light brown-haired girl excited.

Sharis, Tillfur and Noct.

Although there was just one grade of difference between them respectively, they were called the **Triad** in the academy and they were also childhood friends. They befriended Airi after the young girl enrolled into the Academy under Principal Relie's supervision. Then, Noct became her roommate.

As the three girls surrounded her, Airi sunk her petite body further into the hot water, leaving only half of her face to visible above the surface.

"Pardon, will you let me join in as well?"

They all turned to look at a beautiful girl with long attractive blue hair, her well-portioned outline and figure made herself otherworldly compared to others with a mysterious aura. As if she was someone who came from a fairytale book.

"Oh, Krulcifer! it's not often to see you here at this time." Sharis said.

"I went to check the perimeter, just wanted to make sure a little bit. But then I lost in thoughts. I didn't expect the moon to be so pretty."

"That sounds profound…..well, ain't matter! Let's continue the topic!" Tillfur was quick to change the subject.

Krulcifer glanced at the young sister and she did the same. Once their gaze met, Krulcifer smiled. That expression made Airi nervous.

"Yes. Let's start from the beginning."

"Say, Airi-chan, what can you tell us about your big brother?"

"Including good points and bad points."

A little bit further, the princess of the New Kingdom slightly tilted her head over this way. What was with this situation?

Why did everyone show interest in her Nii-san?

He was only seen once or twice. She was already on the receiving end of multiple questions. Despite not being here, that big brother of her had suddenly become the attention of the students. Under the immense (not really) pressure, Airi splashed the water to her face. Her cheek was tingling red, burning with embarrassment. The little girl was not used to be in the spotlight.

…mou, this is Nii-san's fault again!

Airi-chan, you know he didn't do anything.

What should she tell them?

Should she tell them how cool her brother is? No, that only brings more attention to him. She didn't want that.

Airi was never good at conveying her feelings to anyone. She took a deep breath.

"Nii-san is…"

The silver haired girl finally mustered the words.

"**Nii-san is the clumsiest person in the universe."**

That remark was unexpected.

* * *

**Part 7**

Lux found himself in a toughed situation.

The tip of a sword stopped in front of his face. A pair of bloodshot orbs met cold greyish eyes. It was a sneak attack. When the false part of the wall opened, the suspicious man revealed himself in Dress Gear while holding a Sword Device. He charged at Lux from behind.

"I won't let you! I won't let you kill me!" He spat out a lunatic voice.

Lux was calm, he managed to shield his neck from the fatal thrust by using the blade of the white sword to deflect its trajectory. The room was a narrowed space containing many objects, he won't have the chance to dodge any incoming strike.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"Liar!"

Conversation was out of the question. The man was fearful for his life. His sword device swung, cutting the dust and webs. Lux's white blade stood in its way, hitting the blade in each strike.

The harsh metallic sounds from two swords crashed repeatedly echoed across the church.

"GGRRAAHHHHHH!"

Lux ducked to the side. The swift movements of that man's sword went through a few strands of his hair. The decaying table behind him split apart when the blade hit.

"I was just some pawn to you and Velvet, wasn't it!? You all prefer let me be eaten by that abomination rather than spending money for another flute! I HAD ENOUGH! I'm SCARED! I don't want to be close to those monsters that took my whole family!"

The man screamed in a hoarse tone, clearly maddened. His words were not in any order, the consequence of many conflicted thoughts merged into one speech.

Lux jumped back to dodge the next slash. He realized there was a wall behind. He couldn't move out of that spot unless advancing forward. But a blade was coming at him in the front. Having no other choice, Lux decided to wait for the strike.

The man dragged the sword on the floor and brought it up diagonally. It whipped the air to his left.

***Clang***

Sparks born.

Lux's white sword which was pointing down met the other blade and began to move counterclockwise. He let the man's weapons trace across the white sword's body and swung it upward.

The man watched in shock. his swipe was parried.

Using that moment of distraction to his advantage, Lux rammed his shoulder into the man. The quick counter robbed the enemy of his balance. Still gripping the sword tightly on the ground, the man groaned in pain. The floor was made of solid rock, it was not a suitable place to fall.

Lux approached the man, ready his sword.

"Have you come back to your sense?"

The man flinched, slowly rising. He stared long and hard at Lux's face, tears leaked in the corner of his eyes.

"I think I know what this room is and why you know this place."

The horror in his mind now multiplied.

**"You're a spy."**

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Terrified, the man crawled back, pushing everything out of the way. He grabbed the oil lamp and threw at Lux. It crashed into the wall as the boy ducked. Fire began to spread from the shattered lamp.

Lux did not see this coming.

Standing in front the path led back to the altar, the man pointed up his sword. His thumb squeezed a button on the handle, his mouth whispered an incantation.

Lux realized that man's intention. This place was too narrowed to summon it, the whole floor above would collapse and bury them alive.

"Don't do it!"

Particles of light appeared around him.

Lux quickly scanned his surroundings. Sword went back to its scabbard. He noticed the passage where the false wall once stood was there. He leaped toward it when a bluish white light wrapped the whole room along with the fire.

"CONNECTION ON!"

The entire place shook.

* * *

**Part 8**

Smoke rose to the sky, mixed together the smell of burned rock.

Lux Arcadia glanced back at the ignited church. Fire had yet to swallow the whole building. Thanks to the secret passageway, the silver haired boy ended up reaching the courtyard outside.

He knew this would not be the end of tonight.

And he was right.

An explosion occurred. The large door of the church burst opened by brute force. A figure dashed out, landing a few meters before Lux.

It was a mechanical dragon twice as big as a human. A Drag-Ride covered its master's body with non-stop movements and changed into an armor.

"I blew it this time." The spy who was in the control part of a ground-type Wyrm spoke. "You're not the **Black Marketer.** But I could never mistake that silver color of the hair."

The arm covered in metal armor moved.

"Whether you two are related or not, I don't care. You've seen that room and my face."

The great sword in that metallic hand pointed at Lux.

"For that, I will not let you get out of here alive!"

It was not a death threat.

It was a declaration to the start of an inevitable battle.

Reason was unneeded.

In the still of the night, the moonlight and stars lighted up their stage.

Lux inhaled deeply, controlling the flow of his breathe.

The white sword on his waist once again unsheathed.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: I guess a battle between two Drag-Rides is a must for the next chapter, eh. Let's hope it will be a decent piece of action. Anyway, Sharis and Tillfur are now officially introduced into the story.**

****Share your opinion on the chapter if you please, criticism is also greatly appreciate. I will see you in the next note.****


	8. Chapter 8: Abyss-Moon

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.**

* * *

**~Chapter 8~**

**Abyss_Moon**

**Part 1**

She was smiling.

Wearing a black robe that seized her small body and blended into the night, she sat on the edge of one of the abandoned buildings. Legs crossed as she enjoyed the view of a battle no one in Cross Field was aware.

"Pathetic, he blew up his undercover just because he couldn't put up with the given task. And that boy with the silver hair, isn't he the former seventh prince of the Empire? He is piloting a Drag-Ride without wearing Dress Gear?"

The moonlight shone over pitch-black silhouettes that standing behind her. They were observing the battling Machine Dragons.

"The old man finally outlives his usefulness." Murmured in a derisive tone, she snickered.

"Should we postpone the operation and wait?"

"There's no need for that. Well, it doesn't matter."

It was only a few minutes into the fight.

Flying above the ground, the Wyvern swiftly dodged the barrages of bullet from the spy's Drag-Ride. It shortened the distance between the two while tracing around in a circle. Running out of patient, the ground-type Wyrm shot out a wire-tail toward its opponent as he was in its range. The white Machine Dragon didn't move, it caught the wire and pulled.

That moment decided the conclusion of the battle. In a flash, the great sword pieced through the Wyrm's armor, destroying both legs and the thruster. All movements of the spy were disabled.

When one of the observers grabbed their sword to intercept the battle that already over, a hand stopped them.

"Leave it, this might prove to be a good distraction. This Kingdom will have no idea what lay in store for them after this."

Eyeing the silver haired boy from a distance, she smirked.

"Besides, if it is that Ruined Prince over there…." She took out an object from inside the robe.

It was an instrument.

A **Horn Flute**.

Raising it to her lips, a harsh dissonant sound disrupted the night.

* * *

**Part 2**

A girl stopped chewing on her cake, she put the plate down and looked out the window.

"What's wrong, Phi?"

Principal Relie, who was spending a moment with the girl, asked in worry.

"Onee-chan."

Golden eyes met the moon, words slowly parted Philuffy's lip while the absentminded expression lingered.

"I hear, the sound of a flute."

* * *

**Part 3**

"I don't understand! Why!? Why can't I land a single hit on you!?"

Being defeated, the spy was furious. Lux's Drag-Ride stood before him, sliding the sword out of the heavy damaged Wyrm. Just now, the boy's fighting style was extremely passive, only dodging bullets and using minimum invasion tactic.

On the other hand, the man was a skilled Drag-Knight, his used of the Wyrm was not on an average level. He could tell just by looking at the armor of that Wyvern. It was heavy and too slow, too inappropriate for a flying-type Machine Dragon with high mobility.

The armor was probably added in to strengthen defense. However, there would be no used to that since such integration was solely for increasing the burden on the user.

And yet, when that boy picked the moment to close in, he was utterly destroyed. He lost the battle against a child and his weird modifying Drag-Ride in such a short time.

"Surrender and let me apprehend you." Lux said coldly, eyeing the man in case he made any sudden movements.

Trying to do anything else would be of no use, the man thought. He already failed his given role.

"This is it, huh. This is the outcome I get after obeying them all these years." The spy casted his saddened gaze to the earth below the destroyed leg of his Wyrm. "Fine, have it your way."

He raised both arms, holding them in front.

The spy didn't know what would wait for him in the jail of the New Kingdom. At least he wouldn't have to stay near those abominations. He will be safe from the claws of those mechanical monsters.

*Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii*

"That's…!?"

They both heard it.

"Ah…..NO….NO!" Reversing back to his shivering state, the man widened his eyes in horror.

The sea of flame and smoke that engulfed the church abruptly faded as a strong gust of wind exploded.

Something hacked.

The vessel began to break down.

At this moment, humanity's natural enemy entered the world.

* * *

**Part 4**

Under the strong blast of wind, the hood that covered the face of the girl who was watching the sight in pleasure eventually lifted off.

"Dance for me, Lux Arcadia."

Heterochronic eyes glimmered and short silver hair stuttered against the racing current of air. Her derisive tone from before now filled with excitement.

"With only a Wyvern, you can't hope to keep on with a monster that has superior power and bloodlust. If you once again desire to protect, you will have to put away that naïve, weak personality and fight."

She understood him well.

* * *

**Part 5**

The roof of the church fell apart.

A mysterious mythical beast rose.

A pair of giant wings spread on its back.

It came from the species that occasionally appear from the Ruins where Drag-Rides were discovered many years ago.

It was said that they would indiscriminately attack humans and animals once they came across them. What separated them from common beasts was their strength, their purpose of living and their unique abilities.

"No, it's coming! The Abyss is coming!"

The mechanical beast howled.

"A Gargoyle type!?"

Lux narrowed his eyes while the man was beyond horrified. Either way, the silver haired boy readied his sword.

"Don't! Just get out of here! Warn everyone the Abyss is attacking!" The spy shouted. "A general-purpose Drag-Ride won't be enough to handle that thing!"

The Gargoyle lifted off the ground, the feathers from its wings lighted up. Many bullets generated within a single spot and shot out toward the two.

The man closed his eyes, it was too late to do anything.

**[Howling Roar]**

A spiral shockwave wrapped the space in front of Lux. Bullets were deflected and changed direction, they hit the surrounding landscape. The most basic technique a Drag-Knight can use to throw off enemy's attack by using shockwave generated from the Force Core.

Lux's Wyvern threw a dagger and the Gargoyle immediately floated to the side to avoid the weapon. Gargoyle kind possessed high intelligent compare to others Abyss, that was one thing to be wary of.

"Let's leave the arrest for later." Lux calmly said, his vision still followed the Abyss. "For now, please don't move a single step out of this spot."

The Abyss's nature was like that of a carnivore.

The tendency of counterattacking what attacks it first or running after a prey trying to run away was a typical behavior that belonged to these monsters. Since Lux had already got its attention, the Abyss won't notice the spy if he stays still.

"Boy, what are you planning?"

"I'll lure it out of here."

"That's crazy! That thing you're facing is a Gargoyle!"

"Even so." The boy turned to the spy, a determined look on his face. Cold greys narrowed in confidence. "I'm prepared."

The thruster behind Lux's Wyvern instantly boosted. He flew off to the sky, the Gargoyle quickly followed.

The monster's basic instinct was doing Lux a favor just like he wanted.

Then, the first series of attack came in midair.

* * *

**Part 6**

"That was a nice bath~."

"Yes. Very soothing for both body and mind."

"Well, we heard something really good back there."

The renowned trio who was known around the academy as the Triad.

After replenishing their energy in the public bathroom, Sharis, Tillfur and Noct were on their usual patrolling route around the Academy vicinity.

"Taking into consideration, I would never expect Airi-chan's brother to be such a guy." Tillfur tilted her head, grinning a little as she recalled the words.

What did she tell them?

"The clumsiest but also…." Noct trailed off.

"Hm, hm. They say that good points and bad points merge into one balance personality. That is certainly unique for everyone." Sharis nodded while folding the arms in front of her chest.

What did she actually tell them?

Up till now, the Triad only heard very few words spoken about Lux, the big brother of Airi Arcadia and the Chore Prince of the New Kingdom.

After tonight, they felt like they have been enlightened, getting to know certain facts about the existence of the silver haired boy.

"Still…" Sharis began. "If that's the case coming from Airi-chan, it may have been somewhat embarrassing to hear it directly."

"It was unexpected."

"You're right." Tillfur agreed, her cheerful voice always lightened the mood. However, the effect was weak on this particular night. "Hearing Airi-chan said such things about her brother, it…kind of…..."

The Triad stopped walking, they turned to look at each other. That conversation in the bath sunk in their memories. Somehow, a hot sensation burned on their cheeks just by recalling it, followed by the throbbing inside their chest. Much to their anxious, it grew stronger.

Words alone already caused the three maidens to be like this.

"Lux Arcadia."

"Yes. A very dangerous boy."

"How intriguing."

Seriously! What happened during that bath time!?

"Why is everyone blushing?"

"!?"

"!?"

"!?"

The Triad startled.

Airi appeared behind them, she was holding a wooden box in her arms. The younger sister had this uneasy look when she stared at their reddened expressions. It was not helping, seeing the girl made their blush deepened.

Airi realized what was in those minds.

"I…...I tried my best to explain Nii-san's nature to you!"

Of course, she would blush.

"Well, how to put it." Sharis awkwardly scratched her cheek. "It kinds of making us want to meet him."

"Yup, yup! I can't wait to say hello to Lux-chi!"

The petite girl endured herself not to gasp in shock. Someone had already addressed her brother on first name basic. Normally, Tillfur was carefree and opened to everyone, this fact probably had no deep meaning to it. Airi knew that much, but the anxious feeling refused to go away since they hadn't even made any contact yet.

"Airi, is that…..?" Noct pointed at the box.

She recognized the object containing the letters sent by Lux to Airi.

"Noct, if you don't mind, can I ask you a favor?"

"Yes. I'm listening."

"Just this one night, please escort me to-"

"Wait, do you see that?"

Airi couldn't finish. Tillfur caught everyone attention as she pointed toward the sky. The four girls looked at the region where the glowing full moon was hidden by waves of clouds.

Over there, lights and sparks danced.

* * *

**Part 7**

* * *

**-Music 01: Keep on Keeping on composed by Sawano Hiroyuki, Vocal: Mizuki**

* * *

The blade swung, blocking the claws that came to Lux at high speed.

Multiple blows aggressively followed, the former prince carefully traced its trajectory and parried them all. He dashed back as the wings on the monster's back began to glow a bright red color. Light-type bullets rushed out, the Wyvern spun in midair and accelerated.

Numerous explosions occurred shortly after every shot struck the empty night sky as Lux moved above the monster's head. Keeping distance at the same altitude, the Breath Gun of his Wyvern began to fire.

With minimum invasion, he constantly forced the Abyss to concentrate on attacking him. Not even once did he let the Gargoyle faced down at the cross-shaped city below nor descended. Since its long-range attack could bombard the entire city, he couldn't afford to fly below the monster.

This was not the first time he fought the mechanical abomination.

Aside from his odd jobs, requests to join the defense of Ruins were also occasionally handed to him by the top grass of the country in the past.

Although not much information was known about the Gargoyle type apart from its high intelligence and wild beast nature, Lux gained enough experiences to see through its intention, to know when the monster was going to launch a surprise attack.

The Drag-Ride rose higher in the air, and the Abyss was chasing after Lux right from behind.

More bullets coming his way, the blue armor Wyvern made a quick turn with the first few bullets barely grazed the arm. The pair of giant wings flapped, the Gargoyle charged directly toward him, reducing the gap. Lux set up the blade to shield himself from the incoming strike.

However, the monster didn't do so as its speed suddenly slowed down.

It was a feint.

Kicking the air, its body shifted, rolling with the tail in full swing.

"**Got you."**

The great sword vertically moved.

"GuuuuuaahhHHHH!"

The monster let out a loud roar in agony, its tail disintegrated into dust the moment it was cut off. Lux saw through the Abyss's intention in that split second.

With Breath Gun readied in his hand, rain of bullets met the thing's back at pointed blank.

…

"T-The Gargoyle is losing to a Wyvern!?"

One of the figures in black robe watched the battle in bewilderment.

"He saw through the feint and pretended to be caught in its trap." The girl explained. "Using that opportunity, he delivered the strike."

For some reason, she sighed in disappointment.

"A battle style devotes to only defense. What a letdown."

Her gaze shifted to the spy on the ground with his broken Wyrm. That man had yet to disconnect the Machine Dragon. Same as the figures next to her, the spy was watching the battle in astonishment.

A bewitching smile started to form.

The girl brought the flute to her lip again. The harsh sound from the instrument once again echoed.

….

"That sound again."

Just for an instance, Lux focused his attention to the sound. He was caught off guard when the Gargoyle kicked the sky and dived to the church site below at full speed despite the heavy burns on its back.

Red glowing light appeared on the devilish wings. Light-type bullets rained down where the man was.

"Wha-!?"

Lux widened his eyes in shock as he watched a series of explosion occurred. Dust and smoke covered the area.

The current condition of the spy was no longer a question with definite answer.

…..

In the end, he was no more of use to them.

And to them, this was a fitting punishment to a spy who couldn't properly do the task.

"With this, the switch is flipped. The dragon is driven out."

Still, the girl's intention didn't end with just that.

She wanted to see more, even if it was just a moment.

She wanted to satisfy her thirst of that existence.

"Now, show me the enraging beast that once torn apart everything in its path!"

…..

The Gargoyle floated in the air, looking down at the result of its bombardment with mocking grunt.

It then turned to face the boy.

**Slash!**

A dagger pieced through it stomach. It struck with incredible speed and extreme accuracy.

Another one came, pinning on its shoulder. The monster didn't have the time to react as a shadow overwhelmed its entire being.

From a one-sided defensive battle, the positions changed. The Drag-Ride launched forward, using all potential of its own mobility.

For the first time, the Gargoyle showed hesitation to Lux's sudden attack and aggressiveness. When the boy got closer, that agitation cost it a few second too late to dodge. The metallic hand forming a fist punched straight into the dagger, forcing it out on the other end of the monster's flesh.

Not sparing any second to let the monster react, the last dagger torn off one of the wings and a wire-tail deployed from the Wyvern wrapped around the Abyss's wounded torso.

"I'll drive you away from here."

Death cold tone chilled the air.

The thruster behind Lux exploded with maximum output, he dragged the Abyss away from Cross Field and to the sea of cloudscape above.

The winds flew strong.

When the shining body of a full moon visible in its vision, the Gargoyle roared.

Light bullets began to shoot out from his wings.

Instead of dodging them or use [Howling Roar], Lux did something else entirely different to the common knowledge of engaging combat.

He released the wire-tail that wrapped around the Abyss, letting the abomination to free-fall with one of its wings cut off. Then, he detached the armor parts on the leg and arms of the Wyvern. An unthinkable action from his part.

Those were the armor pieces which made by the help of a certain blacksmith on Lux's request, he equipped them. Their weight had been tripled and the thickness was three times the normal armor of a regular Drag-Ride.

One hand grabbed the armor and the other readied the great sword, Lux charged. The Gargoyle kept firing, hitting the piece of armor repeatedly. It managed to inflict some damages.

But.

That wasn't enough to stop the enraging Machine Dragon. Despite the air resistance and having less weight, the Wyvern was faster than ever.

The large sword thrust forward.

A single strike split the Gargoyle apart, ending the life of humanity's natural enemy.

* * *

**Part 8**

"Splendid performance!" The silver haired girl laughed. "Shame, I want to see more."

"That concludes tonight, I will head back first."

One of the figures in black robe vanished within the darkness. The girl didn't move from the edge. She sat there, watching the Wyvern descended above the heaven.

"How strange."

She turned to another figure who stayed with her, a questioning look filled her heterochronic eyes.

"According to the intel, that former seventh prince was once a participant in the Mock Battle Tournament at the capital. The records stated that he achieved an official Drag-Knight license at the age of twelve, at that time he already underwent through several hundred to thousand battles. Yet, he never won in the tournament, and never lost either."

They used past tense, that and the battle just now would explain his vast experiences as a Drag-Ride user.

Though, there was more than what met the eyes.

"About two years ago, his name was crossed out the list of Drag-Knights who joined the competition and stopped showing up ever since. It seems he left Cross Field around the time to do odd jobs, he didn't come back to Fort City until recently."

They arrived at the most important fact.

"After he left, no words from him were heard of. He became a ghost during those years despite being the property of the Kingdom he was forced to serve."

It was the strangest thing.

Usually, any person who received the amnesty from the Kingdom will be put under surveillance so the they cannot violate any regulation. But that boy was different, he was a criminal. He had a younger sister who was also carrying the same status.

However, while the Kingdom kept that girl as a hostage to control the boy to do their bidding. He simply disappeared for two years before returning.

The New Kingdom didn't react to his action, they ignored it like nothing happened. The existence that should have been easy to understand suddenly became a puzzle.

"There may exist a chain of events."

Those words slipped the girl's mouth like that.

"What?"

"He might have gone into hiding during that time to avoid assassination. Either way, that is a question none of us know the answer." She shrugged nonchalantly and stood up. "We're done here."

The other figure went ahead, that girl took one last look at that boy who had the same hair color as her.

Lux Arcadia.

The Ruined Prince.

The chore loving idiot.

"It's unbelievable. To think someone like you are a descendant of those traitorous bastards, quite irritating."

The smoke surrounded the church site cleared off, revealing a heavily wounded man. He was alive, his Drag-Ride was gone. The Lux dispelled his Wyvern once he reached the ground. He quickly rushed to the man to check his condition, one pale color spread on his face.

She stretched her hand to the tiny figure of the boy from afar, his outline stood in her palm. A mischievous smile all over her face. She clenched that hand, emphasized the meaning only she understood.

"The more you try to protect everything with that soft-hearted façade, the more I want to ruin everything just to harass you."

Just by imagining the desperate look on that boy's face, a shock ran through her body. A sensation of wonderful pleasure she could experience only by giving Lux troubles.

"Hm?" The sound of booster reached her ears.

The girl noticed multiple Drag-Rides were heading this way. She put the hood on, covering her face from view and walked away.

This was only the beginning.

There will be more crisis waiting to crush that boy in the future.

"Someday, I will force out that side of yours. The **[Inner Dragon]** you're not even aware of."

Glimmering heterochronic eyes vanished under the moonlight.

Soon, they would cross path.

* * *

**Part 9**

"Noct, was it around here?"

"Yes. There were signs of an Abyss and another Drag-Ride showed on the scan around this area."

"I see nothing."

The Triad arrived at the church site in their respective Drag-Rides. When they saw lights flashed across the night sky, they knew something was wrong and quickly acted. Depending on the circumstance, they could require assistance through **Dragon Voice**, a communication device**.**

"Everyone, over there."

Airi, who volunteered to follow them despite the possible danger, set her sight at what appeared to be the aftermath of a battle while she was carried by Noct's Drake.

A half burning church.

A devastated area with numerous crates caused by explosions.

In that place, they found the remaining corpse of a Gargoyle type Abyss that somehow split in half. It began to enter the state where the body scattered into ash. There was also an injured man lying on the ground with a broken sword next to him.

"What happened here? How did an Abyss appear inside Cross Field without any alarm?" Sharis, Tillfur and Noct couldn't help but wondering.

The bluehead was the first to voice out their thought, staring at a death Gargoyle increased her astonishment and at the same time, raising more questions.

"The scan displays nothing more, the other signal disappeared while we were on the way."

They came a little bit late. Whatever that occurred, it seemed like an unknown battle that took place in Cross Field had already ended.

"This person is still alive!" Tillfur claimed as she examined the man.

"Noct, inform the medical team." The leader of the Triad gave instruction. "We can't move him around in that state."

"Yes."

The girl with a calm expression began speaking through the Dragon Voice, they had to wait a moment until another group consisted of Drag-Knights and the doctors to arrive.

Was he the one who killed the Abyss or was it someone else?

The trio needed answer. But their only witness had passed out. Considering the condition of his wounds, it was unlikely that he would wake up in a few days.

Thankfully, they had a single lead.

A short brown overcoat found underneath the man's head. It was stained by the bleeding. Someone who was knowledgeable in first aid must had used it to support and protect his head. That mysterious person was nowhere on sight. Just a moment ago, he was here to help this injured man.

….that is…..

One girl among them knew the truth.

Airi recognized the piece of cloth that belonged to her brother.

Back then, she clearly saw it. The Machine Dragon that fought against the Abyss has a blue color. In her memories, the only blue Drag-Ride she had ever known was the Wyvern of Lux Arcadia.

….Nii-san, did you…?

She clutched the wooden box closed to her chest. Did her big brother fight against a Gargoyle all by himself with just a general-purpose Drag-Ride?

"Nyaa~."

All of sudden, that meow can be heard.

The girls scanned the source of that sound, the little stray cat that followed Lux since the first day walked out from the shadow of the nearby trees.

"Little kitty!"

The cat ran toward them, Tillfur happily spread her arm to catch it. That cute action blew away the thrilled atmosphere.

"Oh, isn't that little one is always with Lux-kun?"

"Guh!"

"What's the matter, Airi?"

Airi tried to keep a calm face in front of Noct, she felt like thunder blew past her ears. Even Sharis-senpai started to address her big brother on first name basic without even properly meet him once.

"It's rather strange, that little cat is really attracted to Lux-san. Why would it be here out of all place?"

They were the one who looked after it while Lux was in the infirmary on that night. Wait, that was not the issue here.

….Noct, even you!?

Airi's emotion nearly leaked, nothing made senses to the poor girl.

The situation developed into an official investigation without any more threat lingered in the area. Sharis, still wielding her Machine Dragon, went around to check the perimeter. Tillfur stayed with the unconscious man to observe his condition, the stray cat bristling its fur in her embrace. Noct was contacting the others, guiding them to the location.

Airi stood on the side, staring at the moon quietly.

*Rustling*

A faint noise came in one of the bushes behind her. Once she took a brief glance, a melancholy sigh left her lip, her shoulder relaxed.

While trying not to get caught, the figure of somebody with familiar silver hair color slowly retreated away from the scene. If he didn't plan to stay here and observe the situation, that meant he was following their purpose through and through.

To think he would end up in more troubles after coming back to Cross Field.

…get ready, Nii-san.

Airi strengthened her determination. It looked like a formal greeting was unnecessary. She would carry out an interrogation. The hopeless big brother who had gone away for too long will have to explain everything to his little sister.

Tomorrow, it will happen.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, that was a short read. **

**To be honest, I'm still not satisfied with how the battle was portrayed here. ****I had the layout of the entire scene inside my head but I think I didn't use enough word to convey everything. Lux's ending strike might have been the only thing I'm okay with, though.  
**

**Anyway, thank you for reading. I'll see you again in the next note.**


	9. Chapter 9: Interrogation-Longing

****Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.****

* * *

**~Chapter 9~**

**Interrogation_Longing**

**Part 1**

Five years ago.

On a rainy day in April.

Somewhere in the castle town of the Imperial Capital, the drawing room of a small mansion in the outskirts illuminated by a tiny candle flame.

Lux gazed passed the window, the gloomy sky of that morning etched into his mind like another haunting dream. Behind him, a twelve years old boy and a silver haired young man were in a secret meeting.

Once again, he stared into the distant past.

"_Everything is proceeding as planned, little brother."_

"_Thank you."_

A highly classified information was exchanged between the young Lux and Fugil.

The feudal lord of the North East from the Imperial Capital, Count Atismata gathered the resistance of every place and raised an uprising 20 days later. Coupled with the support of neighboring countries, he was ready to lead an army of 70000 soldiers and 207 Drag-Knights and decided to invade the Imperial Capital.

A white sword placed on the table, the boy slightly stuck out his head from the robe.

"_It's been 50 days since then, huh."_

"…_.."_

"_You've far exceeded my expectations. Being the youngest user in history, you displayed your ability by gaining several hundred victories in the training and mock battles of the Empire army. Originally, that unprecedented exploit is something which should be praised all over the country and also by the Emperor. But this Empire ended up being corrupted to the roots."_

"_Right, that's why I'm also ready."_

"_As expected of my wise little brother."_

Fugil nodded with admiration.

Lux, the seventh illegitimate prince, had directly objected to the current state of the Empire.

"_Still, even if you are praised for your achievements, you hold a differing opinion which doesn't garner attention towards blood legitimacy. This means that such a person can't never be a Hero." _The young man's voice mixed with resignation as he continued.

"_I've never thought to set myself up as a hero."_

"You don't need that title." The present Lux muttered under his breath.

"_I know._"

To the answer of a calm twelve years old boy, Fugil smiled.

The present Lux glanced at him, an unknowing intent flashed across his face as he approached the table of the two.

"_But, I'll ask you once again, shouldn't you stop that way of fighting? You don't expressly have to put yourself in danger in order to save the enemy. If you feel like it, though there will be sacrifices, you can choose a safer way…" _

Not even shaken by the fact, young Lux raised his face.

"_This way, even supposing that the plan succeeds, there will be no meaning." _

"_Most men of the army are puppets of the imperial family. While wielding the absolute weapon which is the Drag-Ride, they would blindly obey orders of oppression and massacring of innocent people. So, you can't assert that they have no responsibility." _

"_But they might just be forced to execute orders which they don't want. Even the people of the army have families." _

During wars, casualties are undeniably inevitable. However, the young Lux wanted to avoid that as much as possible even though he was fully aware of the horrors on the battlefield.

Something dark visible in Fugil's eyes and the boy didn't notice it as he focused on the map spread on the table.

"I wonder what you were thinking when you look at me with those eyes, Fugil Nii-san." The boy with a black choker softly asked the young man in doubt. "Does my belief always contradict to yours?"

Obviously, that person won't react, and he didn't expect an answer. This was just a memory played inside his dream, repeatedly recapping like a broken phonograph.

"_Honestly, I have to say your resolve deserves great admiration."_

Fugil stood up.

"_But as expected, we should kill those guys and cut off the bad habit. Will you keep asking about something which won't change? Will you give up everything for what you are trying to change?" _

The boy's expression did not change.

"_Ah, which reminds me, little brother. That matter you asked me to investigate. About the medication and experimentation on human bodies that the Empire's army was running." _

At those words, the young boy turned to him with the slightest agitation clearly displayed in his eyes.

Back in those days, the trend of the androcracy went to extremes. All women were considered tools. In the imperial traditional culture, the fact that women obeyed men was taken for granted.

The scene where any male aristocrat made up a reason and abducted citizens or young girls of poor families as an outlet of his desire and manpower was not unusual.

But this time, a more horrible thing was happening.

The extremely horrifying affair where the military authorities were said to use very young girls for certain special human experimentations.

"_On the surface, it was a clinical trial for making medicine to cure plagues. However, in reality, they are actually human experimentation using poison and developing weapons by the military authorities."_

Most of the kidnapped girls were returned to their families. Still, that seemingly happy ending for those who went through hell came at a cost.

Unstable mind.

Having symptoms of unknown diseases.

Strange after-effects.

Even death as a result.

Lux looked at his younger self, his soft gaze filled with understanding as those small hands started to tremble in upset.

"_Young children, among them, it seems that a subject chosen by a certain standard was the most suitable for the experiment. And this time, even several noble children seem to have been taken to the military facilities." _

Cloaking himself in black clothes, the first prince of the Empire calmly stated.

"_Including that childhood friend of yours with whom you were getting along with. Philuffy Aingram." _

That info shocked the young prince to the core.

"_It seems that the elder sister Relie went to the imperial court to appeal for letting her go while crying. But she was flatly refused. And it seems that within two weeks at the earliest, the experiment will begin." _

"…_.Phi-chan…" _Immediately regaining his composure, the young Lux answered._ "I understood."_

"_Well then, I'll meet you again in three days. Until then, make your decision. __Whether you will cooperate with me in your Wyvern and fight alongside my Bahamut or…." _

The black sword Fugil carried left its sheath momentarily, a gleaming light on that blade reflected on Lux's face. The silver haired former prince briefly glanced at the same Sword Device hanging on his waist.

The young prince kept silent, self-conflict occupied his mind.

"_Ah, yes."_

"_?"_

"_There is something else I figure you should know, aside from you little sister, the other imperial princess has also been sent directly to the frontline. From what I can gather, apparently, that girl was killed during a riot."_

The young Lux stood there, froze. The stiffened expression on his face changed.

"_No way…" _The seventh prince muttered in disbelief. _"That girl is even younger than Airi. How could the Emperor…?"_

"_It's no use to question the Emperor's way of doing things at this point. After all, the corruption of men runs deep like a bottomless abyss."_

"…_."_

"_Then later, little brother. As a prince of the Empire, if you possess the pride to fulfill it, then I believe in your resolution." _

Fugil left the mansion before anyone could notice. What remained there were only darkness and the sound of rain.

Alone, the young prince held his head in distress.

"…_Philuffy was taken away…Airi has gone to the frontier count…..and…."_

And.

_[…Lux onii-sama, do you think the moon is pretty….like me? *giggle*...]_

That childish and innocent voice of a little girl crossed both the past and the present's mind.

"…_..Leila-chan…"_

Lux stretched his hand toward the young prince, he stopped midway when he realized that appeasing an image of his past would be meaningless. Everything he witnessed was just a memory reliving inside a dream.

He stared at the window once more.

…after this, Philuffy is…..

Lux closed his eyes.

The rain gradually got louder outside.

* * *

**Part 2**

Morning sunlight welcomed Lux as he opened his eyes. Through the gaps of a boarded window, it shined on his face.

It was a clear day.

The silver haired boy slowly shifted his position on an old couch, feeling somewhat exhausted by all the stunts he pulled from the battle yesterday. There was a moment when he broke out of his usual fighting technique which solely devoted to defense and switched to offense.

Using a general-purpose Drag-Ride to fight against a Gargoyle type Abyss alone, some would call that a reckless action.

…now that I think about it.

Detaching armor parts midflight and used them as a shield while you already have the automatic barrier was even more crazy of an idea.

Lux Arcadia sighed inwardly.

He would need to repair those components by sending them back to the blacksmith again.

…...maybe I'll ask him to adjust the weight, the armor on the left arm is still light compare to the rest.

After several hundred to thousand battles, including trainings, mock battles and actual confrontations in life or death situations, the wielder of the two Sword Devices could control the Machine Dragon like they were a part of his body.

He had paid attention to those details. The result of the vast experiences he gained throughout the years ever since he became a Drag-Knight at twelve.

Lux sat up and stretched both arms, following by a soft yawn. He could have rested for some more. However, if he slacked off, the requests would pile up, and his debt would increase.

If Airi knew about this, she wouldn't be very happy.

Lux read the note taken from his pocket belt.

"?"

Maybe it was due to the exhaustion lingered on his body, he didn't notice it before. While flipping the pages, a sweet fragrance tickled his nose. The faint aroma was filling the room that surrounded by decaying walls and old wooden floor which has several holes.

…..where is this coming from?

No one else was there aside from the boy himself. This place he used as a shelter to sleep over the night was an abandoned building, the lock on the door was broken from the beginning so Lux wouldn't bother closing it.

He wouldn't be surprised if someone entered the building while he was in the middle of his slumber.

"Nyaa~."

That sudden noise startled Lux. The cat that followed him stood right there near the couch and he didn't even aware.

"You're back!...eh? Is that….?"

He saw a piece of paper placed on the table where dust piled up, one line of message was written on it with an address provided below.

[Please dress appropriately and come to this address.] It read.

No name was given.

The former prince had no idea what this meant.

Still, he recognized the neat handwriting. Words were written in a clear way without ornamentation, this refined penmanship belonged to a single person he recognized.

The boy gulped nervously, because he knew them very well as a family.

….Ai…..Airi was here!?

Let's not forget to mention that the same sweet fragrance also came from this paper.

Hurriedly changing into an outfit that has a more formal appearance than the usual attire he often wore to do odd jobs, Lux left the building together with the cat lying on top his head.

The address in the note pointed to a tea shop.

Indoor, at one of the tables placed in a secluded corner, a young girl wearing the uniform of the Royal Officer Academy was waiting.

Her short silver haired fluttered slightly when she fixed the ribbons tied on both sides. That girl who had the appeal of a noble lady portrayed a well manner as she smiled and thanked the waiter, who just brought a cup of tea as she ordered.

Her graceful atmosphere like a high-class antique doll looked somehow more mature than her big brother. Wearing a calm expression, she elegantly sipped her tea.

"Airi, it's been a while."

Airi Arcadia slightly titled her head to look at her one and only family, the big brother who was the clumsiest person in the universe.

"Good morning, Nii-san. You're taking quite a bit long."

* * *

**Part 3**

_Miracle._

_That word crossed Lux's mind when he saw the man still breathing in the aftermath of all that explosions._

_Hurriedly landing and disconnecting his link with the Wyvern, Lux rushed to the injured spy. Seeing the state of his wounds and all the blood that slowly gusted out his mouth, the boy's mouth closed shut. He didn't feel like having the gut to dare ask if he was alright._

_The man was in no condition to be moved around, it would be dangerous for his life in the case any of the bones underneath cracked._

_Lux crouched down, taking off the short brown overcoat. He carefully placed it beneath the man's head._

"_Can you speak?"_

"_You…how did you…?" Eyeing the corpse of the Abyss which lied away from their spot, the man weakly asked._

_Probably, anyone who saw the battle between a general-purpose Drag-Ride and a Gargoyle type Abyss had millions of questions that couldn't wait to be answered._

"_Don't mind about it, wait here. I'll go get some help."_

_He grabbed Lux's arm when he was about to stand up, the man seemed to still have a little strength left._

"…_the room….last stone…right…corner….."_

_After whispering those words to Lux's ear, the man stopped moving. Lux placed his hand on the man's neck, tracing the beating of his heart._

_He was still alive, only passed out._

_Just as the former prince felt relieved to know, the sound of thrusters from a distance entered his hearing._

* * *

**Part 4**

Watching the crowded street through a glass window, Lux and Airi were facing each other on the seats. It was not every day that they got to enjoy a peaceful moment like this with only the two of them.

"I'm amazed."

Well, peaceful might not be the corrected term.

After a little greeting and no hug was needed, Lux was forced to explain the situation yesterday. Now he shifted his face to the side, sweating bullets.

"To think you would get yourself into another trouble when you just returned to Fort City."

"I…couldn't help it….it just happened."

"Ara, then perhaps Nii-san prefers to let me worry you to death?"

With a thin smile, Airi gazed at the boy while darkness emitted around her eyes. It sounded so scary just by hearing it from her.

"I am very sorry." Lux dropped his head.

A giggle came from the young girl.

"In that case, this is my win again, 112 victories and 0 lose. I wonder will the day come when Nii-san finally win against me in our conversation."

"I see you're keeping the scores, even though it was already long ago." He chuckled.

"May I ask what you are planning with the information left by that spy?"

Airi went back to the topic, the exchange between words was small enough for only the sibling to hear.

"About that, I plan to go back to that room and search. There might be something important that we absolutely cannot miss. After all, an Abyss's egg had been brought into Fort City without anyone knowing."

Something big was about to happen from the darkness. The calm before a massive storm approached and at a larger scale, the signal of an attack. The question was when?

"But judging by the current situation, maybe I'll have to wait for a while." Lux scratched his head.

According to the younger sister, the church site in the third district became a restricted area for the investigation due to the appearance of an Abyss. Not only that, they were also searching info about the one who put the mechanical beast down.

The heavily injured man, who was found on site, had been sent to the hospital and underwent medical treatment.

"The doctors stated that he fell into a coma. Until he wakes up, the investigation can only progress with very limited number of evidences."

"I see…" Lux's grip tightened around the cup. "Airi, should I-?"

"Please don't forget our other purpose, Nii-san."

She knew what he was about to say, that intention will stop here. A moment of silence passed, the boy smiled again.

"Yeah, I know. I'm trying my hardest not to stand out."

"Then, I can feel relieve."

"Say, Airi. Did you hear any sound of a flute throughout the evening yesterday?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

Lux nodded at the answer.

The waiter brought another drink to their table, he placed a cup of fresh coffee on Lux's side. The boy stared at it, mesmerized as he hadn't had this for a while.

"What else did you find out about him, Nii-san?"

She asked him a question not of info gathering, it was more likely due to her curiosity. So he pointed at his hair.

"He saw this hair color before, something about me resembling the Black Marketer."

"That's-!?"

"Don't think too much about it, Airi." Abruptly, he said. "It may have been a clue, but the person we are searching is not the Black Marketer. That is someone else entirely different."

"How can you be so sure?"

"It's….." Lux smiled. "…it is just a hunch, you see. After all, going around the continents to trade weapons and information is not quite the life that suits his real intention."

His reason was not very persuasive. Airi had a feeling her brother knew something was going on, she would like to dig deeper into those thoughts.

"It's just my idea, I stayed with him the longest as he was my mentor. That's just how much I understood by watching him from behind."

He held such opinion, she wouldn't desire to push on the topic further.

"By the way, how did you know I was resting in that building?" Lux asked, putting a few sugars into the cup and stirred.

"It is thanks to your little feline friend, it helped me by leading the way."

They both turned to the kitty, who was enjoying its own meal that Lux bought along the way. They were lucky enough that the owner of the tea shop allowed animal inside.

"I see. Yesterday, while I was hiding, it found me and came out to your friends to distract them."

He thought the cat already flee to somewhere far. Yet, it managed to find him all the way to the church site. He gently patted on its head and received an affectionate meow.

Very smart, this little one.

"Thank you for helping my little sister."

"Yes, the kitty is very helpful. Unlike the big brother who gave his little sister trouble by sleeping like a log despite her numerous attempts in waking him up."

Those cynical words struck Lux's heart like an arrow. Airi really did went into that room to find him and left the message there because he won't respond to her calling.

"I'm sorry your Nii-san is being a burden."

He felt like tears were about to burst from the corner of his eyes.

"I won't go so far as to say you are a burden, Nii-san is Nii-san after all. It's good that you haven't changed much after all this time." Airi took another sip from her tea. "You are clumsy and reckless as always."

"I guess I'm still hopeless without you then."

"Even so, I'm not going to take care of you for the rest of your life, you know."

Airi had a deadpanned look on her face.

Though, she appeared somewhat delight to hear that. Deep down, she knew that Lux was the one she preferred to be depended on the most. But it was not like she wanted him to spoil her like a child.

Anyhow, she wouldn't mind about the "taking care" part, everything has to be taken into consideration. Many procedures contained many steps to take. A little sister looked after her brother for life was not that common of a circumstance in society.

Still, as a family, it was alright for her to do that.

"You're right, there's no way I can let you take care of me for my whole life. You still have lots of important things at hand to do rather than that."

"..…"

She really couldn't understand, it was supposed to be a joke. Yet there was a sudden urge to retort built in her stomach. What was wrong with this dissatisfaction?

"Either way, what are you going to do?" Airi decided to let it slide for now.

"I checked my note. There's not much requests today. If I start now, everything should be done by noon and I'll have some free time after that." Lux smiled and drank the hot warm coffee. "It's not often that I get to have a day with less jobs like this. What about you, Airi?"

"There are some commissions left for me to handle during holiday. Still, I plan to spend a mome-*cough* to talk with Nii-san so I organized everything and set up a new schedule to do it later."

She cleared her throat, something dangerous might have slip out if that coughing didn't interrupt her speech. Anyway! In another word, she was free at the moment.

The big brother looked at his little sister with a concerning look.

"How is school? Are you doing well in the academy?"

"Yes, I'm still decrypting ancient documents excavated from the Ruins and updating the Drag-Rides's manual alongside with the guidebooks. While studying, at the same time, I do a daily side job until midnight."

She was doing a great job in contributing to the massive debt that they owned by the New Kingdom.

"Other than that, everyone takes good care of me, so Nii-san doesn't need to worry about me."

Years ago, when Lux left Cross Field, she was not yet a student of the Academy. Before the enrollment, Airi was placed under strict supervision of the authority and she was kept as a hostage to prevent the former prince from escaping to another country or breaking the rules.

It was a difficult life to live until the goddess of fortune smiled upon her, Principal Relie took her in and helped her enroll into the Academy. With a little convincing reason and paying a nice sum, Airi finally gained back her freedom while the top grass of the Kingdom kept on watching her without laying a single hand on the girl.

At first, the students gave her odd stares due to the choker on her neck. Gradually, thanks to her effort in doing various tasks given by the staff and the students, Airi found herself a place to fit in with the rest as they acknowledged her.

"I'm glad. You're loved by everyone, huh."

"Don't put it like that."

Of course, her position as the former imperial princess would not change. The black choker on her neck proved her status as a criminal and she needed to atone for the many crimes the Old Arcadia Empire inflicted on the world same as her brother.

Airi used to be a frail girl. Since long ago, she was always bedridden.

When their mother passed away, she was still young. Her position became complicated in various ways as the whole family was ejected from the succession struggle early. If she did not acquire a determined personality from a tender age, she would not have been able to survive this far.

"Airi has gotten strong and became an independent person now." Lux said with a soothing sigh.

He was proud, to think this child could grow so fast and get good at dealing with things.

"As your reliable litter sister, I shall accept that compliment from Nii-san." A childlike smile appeared on her expression. "Just remember, since you are always get dragged into troubles and difficulties, if you need some help, please tell me, okay?"

"It's all right, thank you."

Who would have thought?

Turned out, he was the one getting spoiled.

"Phew, now that all questions from yesterday are cleared, it is time to settle all my worry."

"Eh?" Lux watched in dumbfound as Airi placed a wooden box on the table.

Happy family time is over.

The interrogation starts now.

* * *

**Part 5**

"Hm, how curious. I see darkness around Airi-chan for some reason."

"Yes. It appears that she is not feeling pleasant."

"Does that mean the big brother is in for a scolding?"

Certainly, at the same time and at the same place, they were there. Sharis, Tillfur and Noct, the three girls of the Triad.

They were watching them from a different table in the opposite corner while never really paying any heel to the lukewarm drinks in front of them.

By any means, this occurrence was not a coincidence.

"Now, I understand why she asked Noct to escort her yesterday."

Even though that sentence never finished, Sharis could make out a little bit of the meaning behind the wooden box she carried with her at the time. According to Noct, inside that object contained letters Lux sent to Airi on many occasions over the years while he was outside Cross Field.

The dazzlingly beautiful blue haired Sharis had her chin supported by a hand as she recalled the early morning today. When she and Tillfur came to Airi and Noct's room to invite them out for a stroll around the city, they saw the younger sister already prepared to leave the dorm together with the little cat.

Recently, the big brother who was clumsiest person in the universe had just gone back to Fort City after disappearing for a long time. Knowing Airi as a girl who hardly conveyed her real feelings to anyone, it was not that difficult for the Triad to make a guess.

She was eager to see him.

That could only mean one thing, Airi Arcadia was on her way to meet Lux.

"Honestly speaking, she is always a frail girl and the world outside Academy is filled with many dangers. We can't leave such a person like that to walk on the street alone."

"Yes. As the vigilante group of the Knight Squadron. It is the Triad's duty to protect her, in secret."

"Plus, Airi-chan is our best friend~."

That was the reason why they were here, partially. For the most part, they were curious about the silver haired boy. Right now, they seemed to have fun.

"Oh, there's new development over there." Sharis commented.

While holding a particular letter in her hand, Airi spoke something. It seemed like she raised a question and the other person facing her had their face turned white, paler than snow.

Meanwhile, the cat went and made itself comfortable on that girl's lap after finishing the meal. Airi's tender small hand rushed through the smooth fur while waiting for some sort of explanation from that boy.

"Ufu, I want to pet the little kitty and feel its soft squishy paws so bad." Tillfur lied her head on the table, obviously struggling against her desire to play with that cute existence.

"Airi, she looks happy when she's finally able to see Lux-san again."

Despite the pout and the frowning on that girl's face, Noct and the other two agreed with her words. Contradict to the look, Airi's eyes displayed a very refreshing light of emotion.

They could tell that this was the moment she has been looking forward to since the day that boy returned.

"Still, I was wondering….."

"Yes. Same here."

"Why is Lux-chi looking so nervous?"

Suddenly, that boy placed both hands on the table and bowed his head as deep as possible.

"Ah, he makes a dogeza."

* * *

**Part 6**

From another perspective, she was happy.

She really did look forward to this conversation. Still, aside from feeling happy, she was also frustrated.

"**I'm sorry Airi, you Nii-san has been sold into slavery."**

Airi repeated a single line that appeared on a nearly blank page. This was sent to her not long after Lux's departure to the world outside Cross Field.

"Can you elaborate the content of these words you wrote, Nii-san?"

"Err…."

Before the cold smile that didn't resemble a smile much from Airi, the temperature around the table decreased to some degrees and Lux couldn't get the word out. Amazing, his little sister. She changed her attitude so quick and so sudden in the next topic that he didn't even know what was happening.

Come on, Lux Arcadia! Muster your courage, at this rate, your dearest sister may give you the cold shoulder for an entire day if you don't explain it properly.

"I sent it by mistake, lots of things happened and it just went out of control."

That didn't really nail it, but it was alright!

A sigh left her lip.

"Nii-san, what had you been doing out there?"

"I went around to do requests, you see…and…um, not many good things happened?"

Being sold into slavery was just one of many unbelievable things during his journey around the Kingdom of Atismata. It was more than that.

Nearly drown at sea.

Nearly frozen to death on a snowy mountain.

Got lost in the desert.

Crossing the border without knowing.

Sword Devices got stolen.

"Airi, I met a ghost." Written in one of the letters.

She was happy to hear his words and that he was safe and sound in front of her. But needless to say, the poor young girl was driven into a crazy roller coaster of emotions every time she read these letters.

She took out a neatly folded paper and pushed it toward him. It had the result of doctor's examination during that one time when he got sick and put inside the infirmary of the Academy.

Various scars had been found across his small built body.

There were signs of burned marks, fractured bones, slash wounds and skin torn at both hands. All of them were already healed, with few places being sutured. It was unknown if he stitched the wounds on his own or through a proper medical treatment.

However, if it was not by a miracle, Lux wouldn't have been able to survive with all that wounds inflicted on his body.

"As expected, you really did intend to let me worry you to death, right?"

"From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologize for making you worry over nothing."

"I wouldn't call this nothing, Nii-san. At least, you're earnest in expressing your circumstances to me instead of twisting the words."

She appreciated the honesty, but it was still his fault.

"Please consider our positions. If something happens to you, how will I be able to repay the debt alone?"

Lux looked away in nervous, a sense of guilt engulfed him just by imagining the scenario.

"During the time you were gone, I received words from a certain mechanic-san…."

At one point, Lux's Wyvern came back as a wreck. Much to the brown skin mechanic man's horror, it was almost impossible to fix.

"Recently, around the city, there are rumors involving a character they call Hero. I'm sure Nii-san is probably aware of it, since all hints and the vague descriptions passed from one person to another direct to that figure."

The Black Hero.

As Lux averted his eyes away from her, Airi stretched her arms and held his face firmly. She seriously determined to get the answer from him.

"Nii-san, I want an explanation."

"It's a story I can't tell you, not while we're in public. But there's one thing I can assure you. The Hero they talked about is definitely not me, I don't care about that title."

Lux stared straight into Airi's iris. Like a supernatural force at play, the younger sister flinched at his abnormal cold gaze.

"As for the rest, we can talk it out in a more private place." He smiled awkwardly. "We're having a reunion after a long time, right?"

Hesitating for a moment, Airi finally decided to let go. Nothing valid was gained. Unfortunately, the interrogation would stop here.

"Very well, but how is Nii-san going to repay me for all the worry and stress that you caused me to build up for two years straight?"

an idea popped up in Lux's mind.

* * *

**Part 7**

"_Then how about this? Let's go to this place in my next job."_

That was what he said.

Airi sat alone on a bench with the cat, she pondered over the food in her small palms. The sweet strawberry crepes mixed with little chocolate, it was made by Lux. He stood inside one of the stalls and made street foods in the owner's place as requested by the person himself.

"_So you are Lux's family, eh, ojou-chan. Well, Lux-kun, why don't you make one for your cute little sister? No charge, it's on the house."_

Since she was Lux's sister, the kind owner decided to give it for free. This crepe was something to make up for the troubles he caused.

…..Nii-san thinks a simple crepe will make up for everything.

Wouldn't this mean her concern toward him was considered rather lightweight?

Airi pouted, she took a bite and her whole face brightened up, eyes sparkled at the taste. It was extremely delicious. When she looked back at the stall, a long line of people already waited in the middle of a busy street. That boy caught her gaze while he was doing his job, he smiled at her.

"Was it enough to repay the troubles I caused you?" Was probably the meaning behind that smile.

Airi turned to the side, her cheek reddened.

…..this is…..unfair…

Too dangerous! This feeling of longing, she must put a stop to it.

After this, she should get back to her side jobs. If she stuck with him longer than this, she would be reluctant to leave his side. Seeing him like this was already enough.

Although…

Through this meeting after two years, something else about Lux concerned her.

Compared to the last time she saw him off, his eyes have become much colder regardless of the same old personality.

There was the other thing in her mind that she has yet to speak of to him.

In the past two years, that Drag-Ride had disappeared from the top-secret hangar multiple times. It was the info sent to Airi by her Majesty the Queen.

Something didn't sit right.

"Nyaa~."

The cat jumped off Airi's lap, it ran to a light brown-haired girl standing along the line.

"Ah, little kitty found me!"

"Tillfur-senpai!?"

Seeing a member of the Triad here, Airi's intuition immediately clicked. She shifted her view to the nearby benches. The remaining two were there, in her plain sight.

Sharis tried to cover her face with a visitor guide, the uniform of the Academy exposed her identity, however. Noct didn't react much and she just waved at her roommate while sipping the drink. Airi did well to keep her composure by not letting the shock spread on her face, except the twitching under her eyes.

At the same time and at the same place, they were right here where she and Lux were.

The Triad got some explaining to do.

* * *

**Part 8**

As he finished the job, Lux received the payment and headed back to Airi. He noticed the people wearing the Academy uniform had increased in numbers.

Airi and the three girls of the Triad. Somehow, the little sister had this complicated expression on her face when he approached them. Anticipation can be seen in those eyes as if they were expecting something. On his part, he didn't know the three girls well, so a proper introduction was necessary.

Lux opened his mouth to say the words.

"Help! thieves!"

"Someone chases after them!"

Before his voice got out, a disturbance occurred in the crowd behind.

"Tillfur, Noct!"

"I'm on it!"

"Yes!"

Sharis, Tillfur and Noct readied their Sword Devices.

Introduction were thrown up in smoke, the three girls quickly chased after the robbers. Airi was not surprised to see the vigilantes of the Knight Squadron in action.

On the other hand, Lux was left dumbfounded for a short moment.

"They are my friends, Nii-san. It is their duty to preserve the peace of the city, we should leave this matter to them."

"No good."

"Eh?"

"This part of the district has many narrowed places, they can't use Drag-Ride to get in and catch them without avoiding collateral damages. Not only that, there's too many people." The silver haired boy frowned. "Those thieves know what they are doing, that's why they chose this place to pickpocket."

Lux was ready to join in the capture.

"Airi, stay here with the cat. I'm going after the thieves."

"W-Wait, Nii-san!"

Despite Airi calling to him, Lux already blended into the street and vanished from her sight.

Lux was a person with an odd sense of justice, he wouldn't ignore such thing so easily. Once he decided on something, it was difficult to pull him out of that goal.

Even though the Triad alone was capable enough to handle troubles like this. The girl couldn't do nothing more than to sit down on the bench and wait for this sudden event to pass.

"Nyaa~."

The cat placed its front paw on her thigh, as if it was trying to reassure her that everything will be alright. She wasn't worry much about his safety, she was worried about something else.

"Nii-san, for the sake of our purpose, please don't stand out."

If there was a change that bounded to happen because of this, she hoped it will never come.

* * *

**Part 9**

Due to having large built body structures, one of the critical weaknesses of Drag-Ride was that it cannot enter area with narrowed space.

The group of four thieves made full use of that disadvantage of the Drag-Knights as they split up in the shade of alleyways.

In this place.

Many houses lied next to each other, backdoors and windows connected to every rooftop and many small paths met like a giant network.

This maze was their territory. They could easily cut loose anyone who chased after them once they went inside this area. The girls of the Triad were not even an exception.

They had carefully planned everything ahead.

"Uwaah!"

Well, not every plan was perfect.

Threads of rope shot down from above, one of the thieves was caught in the net. A green Drake appeared, standing between the gap of buildings.

Out of the three-general type of Drag-Ride, the Drake possesses unique abilities unlike the other two. One of it was the power to bend the light and erase sound, concealing its presence by lightly projecting the scene.

In another word, the ability to camouflage itself with the surrounding environment.

"This is Noct, I've successfully captured one of the thieves." The girl communicated via Dragon's Voice.

…

**Part 10**

In another section of the maze-like area, Tillfur was in hot pursuit.

"Mister thief, please kindly stop running, it would be wiser!"

"Damn it, this girl is persistent! No matter, I'll cut you lose right here!"

He made a quick turn at the corner, and the light brown-haired girl also did the same as she increased her pace. She stopped, her eyes widened at a strange occurrence.

"Eh? He's gone!?"

There was a simple explanation to this seemingly incredible phenomenon.

Around this part, a door was always unlocked. It had the same color as the wall, making it a hidden entrance once you close it.

The thief did not vanish into thin air, he used that door to escape from her. Inside an old storage, the thief tried his best to hold in the urge not to laugh at her clueless reaction.

Simple-minded noble girls were so easy to trick like that, he thought.

**Crash!**

A giant arm punched through that door, grabbing the thief who stood in the way.

"Just kidding~." Tillfur's lighthearted voice echoed behind the broken door. "You think I wouldn't notice the gap on the bottom of this door?"

Quite an observant girl.

Although it may have been a risk for her to write a letter of apology if there was any collateral damage, she was willing to summon her Wyrm right on the spot to catch the man despite the narrowed location.

The armor she wore could not move around much. At the very least, she could use it to apprehend the criminal and wait for backup.

"Ah."

She noticed in the grasp of the Wyrm was only the cotton shirt of the man.

"Muahhahahaha! You think you caught me!? No, you didn't!" He was quick to slip out the metal hand of the Drag-Ride in the nick of time.

The thief was really enjoyed seeing her looked at him in shock since he did not wear any top, revealing those masculine – no, since he was able to escape from her Wyrm.

"Hey, that's unfair!"

"Adios, little girl~."

That man ran up the stair and disappeared into the darkness up there.

"Ah, ah, I let him escape." Tillfur let out a disappointed sigh.

Until she heard the thief spoke to someone.

"W-Wait, what are you!? Why is-!?"

Shortly after the sounds of struggle, the thief rolled down the stair with two ropes firmly tied both his arms and feet. He was unconscious.

Tillfur only needed to hold the thief in place.

"Um, this is Tillfur. I've also managed to catch one of them."

Briefly looking around, she noticed a shadow jumped over the gap above.

* * *

**Part 11**

"Nicely done, you two!"

The remaining two thieves were fleeing in front of Sharis.

"Those idiots got captured! I thought you said this plan will go smoothly!?"

"It is, dumbass! We're getting away while those two acts as baits!"

"Well, it is not working! That chick is on our tails, I'm sure you said it like that to hide your stupid nature as our leader!"

"Shut your trap!"

After the argument, one of them split up and ran toward the crowd. With this, Sharis could not follow both and she must pick one.

If she chased after the one in the crowd, she could easily lose him. Noct and Tillfur already had their hands full, they won't make it in time. It was better to stick with the one who seemed to be the leader of the group, this meant she has to let the other one escape.

Sharis was someone who has a strong sense of justice, dealing with disturbances like this to make Cross Field a safe place was the reason why she volunteered to join the paramilitary section.

Even though she didn't like this turns of event, it was regrettable.

"No choice then."

Once she captured him, a little bit of interrogation in the hands of the authority should be enough to make him spill the bean of the other guy's whereabout.

The blue haired girl focused her line of sight on the running leader. He hopped through a window which led to the back of a bar, Sharis was losing the distance. Her strong leg kicked the earth and she leaped passed the backdoor, sharply spun her heel to change direction. Seeing that thief aimed for the entrance, the girl dashed forward. No way she was going to let him run out the street and cut loose her.

That short moment of the chase caused a ruckus among the customers who was enjoying their time there.

"W-What's going on!?" Gible the owner startled.

The leader of the thieves decided to use dirty move, he snatched the glass from a customer's hand and threw it at her. The girl managed to dodge it thanks to her quick reflex.

It won't end there. He continued to throw more stuff at her.

Sharis was forced to push a person out of the way before any of the objects hit them by accident and hid behind a falling table.

The thief took that chance to make his escape again.

"That coward."

She put her hand on the sword belt at her waist.

….it's beyond me to try to imitate that person's skills, but…

Unfastening the attachment of the scabbard to the belt, Sharis pulled the whole thing out at high speed as the criminal was one step away from the door.

She gathered her momentum and pushed the leg. In the blink of an eye, the gap was shortened.

A speed that nearly matched lightning carried her right behind him, the sheathed sword swung and hit his ankle.

"Guah!"

The thief fell on the floor.

The leader of the Triad didn't gain much advantage either, her stamina reduced drastically.

Her strike lacked the strength to temporarily disable his movements. As he quickly gathered himself and ran off, the muscles in the girl's leg tensed up, taking her a few seconds to stand up.

That was the cost for using the skills of the strongest Drag-Knight in the Academy.

…I knew it, her skills are too much for me to use….

It didn't not go as smooth since her endurance had limit.

"Ouch!"

The thief fell again, he dragged one of his leg while shoving his way around the crowd of people and entered another alleyway. She thought her strike was weak, turned out it actually did a number on him. He was losing his pace, a fact she could rely on to catch up.

The chased continued until they reached a dead end.

"Kuh, a dead end!?"

That was what they said.

"It's unfortunate, eh. Now would you kindly kneel, raise up both hands and let me apprehend you?"

Sharis stood on the other end, her sword unsheathed, a confident look on her dignified face.

"Hm, say ojou-chan. Let's make a deal." He suddenly changed his tone. "Looking at this close, you're quite a beauty yourself. And it breaks my heart to bring harm to your body, you know. How about we just let this slide for once and I'll invite you to my house for a nice, cozy dinner together?"

As expected, this person was an idiot.

"I beg to differ. For a thief, you're not really in any position to negotiate a deal with me. You're not even good looking enough to be added as a candidate for my marriage meeting."

"Oh well, it's a shame." That triggered a vein to pop out on his forehead, he pulled out a knife. "Get out of my way then!"

He launched at her, he was ready to take any measure to force his way out of this.

What a simple fool.

The sharp knife came toward her head from below. Sharis took a step back, gracefully dodged the swing. This process repeated and repeated, he barely gave her an opening to close in.

She could see through his actions, they were sloppy and filled with unnecessary movements. As he continued to thrust the weapon around, it was easy to predict the next direction it moves.

"What's wrong!? You can't use that thing called Drag-Ride in this place, right!? If you could, you would have effortlessly beat me without ending up like this!"

He believed that he gained advantages over her in raw strength and stamina. That was when he was wrong.

Sharis titled the blade, aiming for the knife and swung, knocking off the tiny weapon from the man's grip. The sword didn't stop at that, it continued the path as Sharis shifted her stance, doing a full clockwise swing.

The weapon only halted until it reached his throat.

The thief froze in place as the sharp edge slightly touched the skin on his neck. Sharis gently pushed the sword in her hand to force him turn his head up. The battle already ended before it was decided. Countless trainings with the strongest of the Academy and the Knight Squadron led her to this level of combat.

"You're under arrest for committing robbery."

Her strong-willed voice caused a drop of cold sweat to leak on his head.

"Fine, fine." Keeping himself together, the thief grinned. "You caught me, just like I wanted."

"What?"

A shadow appeared on top their head. Sharis looked up and her eyes widened. It was the other thief from before who escaped into the crowd, he jumped from the top of the buildings.

Daggers in both hands, he aimed those at her. This whole thing was a trap, these criminals never intent to run away.

She could dodge out the way. However, a battle against two with only a sword was not her forte. She could summon her Wyvern in time, but she won't be able to do much, not in this narrowed space.

Time was running short as the thief was about to throw one of the daggers.

Then.

Inside the reflection of her eyes, another shadow came into view. It appeared right behind the thief, who jumped from the rooftop.

A boy with silver haired color and a choker on his neck.

In midair, he held something with both hands and spread it over the sky, something like a large blanket that was still wet, and the smell of soap emitted from it.

The whole thing hugged around the thief in that moment, locking his aim. With a heavy thud, he crashed into the ground, trapped inside the blanket like a cocoon.

Having a rope prepared beforehand, Lux Arcadia kicked the daggers away and tied the blanket along with the criminal inside, Robbing him off his freedom of movements. Sharis and the leader watched in astonishment, the latter was shock as his plan failed.

All the thieves were captured.

* * *

**Part 12**

After handing over the robbers to the guards, Lux and the Triad returned to the stall where Airi and the cat were waiting.

"Despite being from royalty, you are a very modest person. I'm honestly surprised."

"?"

"We didn't expect you to decline your part in capturing the thieves and passed all the effort to us." Sharis sighed, feeling somewhat amazed.

They didn't question how he did it.

Though it was unexpected when he kept insisting the guards that it was the Triad's achievement alone. Sharis wanted to make it fair for Lux. In fact, the three girls would prefer to let him share the effort.

"I didn't really do much." He shook his head.

He denied it all, as if it was a natural thing for him to do.

"Lux-chi, thank you for helping me out earlier." Tillfur cheerfully walked close to him, a hint of appreciation on her broad smile.

"Lux-chi?"

Somehow, Lux was given a strange nickname and he only noticed this just now.

"Yes. It's a good thing that Lux-san know his way in that area." Noct nodded with the usual calm expression. "Otherwise, if would have taken more time to look for Tillfur."

"Well, it was embarrassing." The mood-maker scratched her cheek. "I didn't think I would forget my way out."

"Hmph, it seems we're indebted to Lux-kun for this. How do you think we should repay him?" A playful grin on her face, Sharis teasingly raised a question.

"There really is no need. I'm just glad I can help everyone, that's all there is to it."

"I agree with Nii-san."

The four of them turned to Airi who decided to speak up as she stepped in between Lux and the Triad. The kitty followed her and went to climb on Lux's head, lying there with a soft meow. Airi eyed him, the same complicated look that Lux never managed to fully grasp the meaning behind, if there was any.

"He is a soft-hearted person, a little bit hopeless and selfish to get himself dragged into others' problems. Nii-san's always satisfied with result like this so everyone please don't mind about it."

Lux sweat dropped at the remark.

"You're right. From the look of it, I think I understand why you called him the clumsiest person in the universe." Sharis said so, her tone tinged with interest.

"Clumsiest?"

The boy turned to Airi, she noticed his questioning gaze and panicked.

"Y-You don't have to bring that up!" Her cheeks reddened. She cleared her throat to forget the burning heat. "Putting aside the inconsequential thing, I supposed everyone here is already made acquaintance with him."

The Triad stared at each other and nodded. It was about time to enter a proper introduction.

"I'm Tillfur Lilmit, you can call me Tillfur if you like~."

"Noct Leaflet, first year student of Royal Officer Academy. Pleased to meet you."

"My name is Sharis Barthshift, daughter of the vice-commandant of the New Kingdom army. Come to think of it, I haven't given you my thanks for helping me. Thank you, Lux-kun."

Placing one hand on the left side of their chests as a noble gesture, the Triad slightly lowered their heads at the former prince.

The silver haired boy was startled by the formal greeting.

"P-Please don't lower your head like that, I'm just a Chore Prince who lives among the citizens!"

Considering his position as a criminal of the New Kingdom, his origin as a royalty could no longer be applied to deserve this kind of greeting from the people of aristocrat.

The moment that black collar was placed on his neck, everything about his right as the seventh prince of the Old Arcadia Empire had long gone ever since.

"Aww. No need to hold back, Lux-chi."

"Yes. Even though your position doesn't allow it, your action is still worthy of our respect."

"Let me clarify something to you, things like rank or status doesn't matter among friends. Allow us to treat you equally."

He rubbed the back of his head, clearly troubled by the idea. For someone like him to be their friend right off the bat. Was it really alright?

"Nii-san." Airi nudged his side to pull the boy out of his thoughts. "It's your turn."

"Ah right, my name is Lux Arcadia, I'm doing odd jobs for everyone in the New Kingdom. It's very nice to meet you all." He bowed his head deeply with gratitude. "And thank you for taking care of Airi."

"It's an honor." Sharis replied with a smile.

"I would like to add a few things." Airi cleverly spoke up. "Nii-san is introverted in many ways, he doesn't prefer to stand in the spot light. In other words, about what happened today, please keep it a secret."

The trio widened their eyes a little.

"Well, if Airi-chan said so. We'll keep this to ourselves." Arms swung behind her head, Tillfur said nonchalantly.

"Yes."

"Excuse me, I heard that you got back my stolen wallet."

The former victims of the group of thieves from before approached them, offering theirs thanks to the Triad.

* * *

**Part 13**

While the crowd gathered around the three girls, Lux and Airi quietly stood on the side. A bright emotion also showed on the young sister's face as she sneaked a glance at him.

"How is it, Nii-san? Aren't you glad your new friends are the beautiful ladies of highly social status?"

"Err. If she says status doesn't matter between friends then, I think it's pretty normal?"

That was not what she meant!

"What else could you mean?"

"Why don't you look at them and answer the next question since you didn't really pay attention at all?"

Lux shifted his view to the Triad.

"What do you think about them?"

She asked him, a question that contained double meanings. Lux was sensitive in many aspects, but he was clueless when it comes down to matters related to girls.

"You're asking me that when I just met them?"

"Nii-san had gone for two years and lived the life of a commoner, I was wondering if that would affect your judgement on people's nature."

"That…makes sense…."

Not really. Using words to play the mind trick was just part of conversation art. With this, it will be the 113th victory for Airi and 0 for him.

"Regardless, I do hope my opinion toward you is still the same after this."

Immense pressure presented in those words. Lux gulped, he was actually scared to see a depreciation occurred in the bond between sibling.

"How to say this? They're good people to befriend with. Even though they're together, the air around them is different from each person. Sharis-san is not only beautiful but very matured, a little bit playful at time, I guess she has a balanced personality. Tillfur-san is lighthearted and cheerful, talking with her makes you feel refreshed. As for Noct-san, she is calm and quiet, very composed. I think it is good that they are your friends."

"Hm." Airi titled her head, pondering over his words. "If that's how you see them, maybe it's alright."

"What?"

"Nothing. Which reminds me, it's time for me to return. Nii-san also has other things to do, isn't that right?" She changed the topic.

"Yeah, the owner of a bar near here just requested me to help him until late at night again. That's another request to add in the list, I guess my free time today is cutting short."

Lux sighed, straightened his back, flexing his arms before turning to Airi.

"Say, Airi."

"Yes, Nii-san?"

"There are more things I want to talk to you, but let's leave it for another time. It's great that I can speak to my little sister face-to-face after such a long time." He gently patted her head. "I'll be off to my next job then, please give the Triad my regard. And tell them I said thank you for being my friends."

"….ah."

"Goodbye, I'll see you again, Airi."

He walked away, together with the small cat waving its tail on top his hair. Airi stared at that small back until the figure of the silver haired boy finally vanished in the sea of people.

As she stood there alone, the petite girl unknowingly placed a hand on her head.

* * *

**Part 14**

"Your cheek is red."

"Eh? W-What are you saying, Noct!?"

Noct stared closely at Airi's face, the Triad came back when the crowd surrounded them dismissed.

"Oh, Noct is right. Your face is bright red around this spot here." Tillfur touched her cheeks, feeling concerned. "It's burning hot."

The time was noon, the sun was at the highest spot on the sky. Maybe her face was red because she stood too long under the harmful sunlight and on the verge of having a heat stroke.

Yes, that must be the case. She was a frail girl, after all.

"Where is Lux-kun? He was here just now." Sharis glanced around, looking for the boy who was no longer in the area.

"Nii-san has an urgent request to do, he already went ahead." Airi slowly moved her feet. "It's time for me to head back, too."

Oh, wait. There was one more thing she should say to them.

"Everyone, I would like to ask you something." She faced the three girls of the Triad, her head bowed down. "From today onward, please take good care of my clumsy Nii-san."

"Will do!" Sharis, Tillfur and Noct replied in sync, together with a smile rose on their lips.

How strange.

Her heart was beating fast for some reason.

…..as expected, I really shouldn't have stayed together with Nii-san for too long.

She really missed that tenderhearted feeling whenever he rubbed her hair.

Just like her mother used to caress it when she was a child. As she stayed next to her bed and sang a lullaby, bringing her to sleep.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: So, Airi became the heroin in this chapter.  
**

**Anyway, thank you for reading. Stay healthy and stay safe, I'll see you again in the next note.**


	10. Chapter 10: Request-Cook

******Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.******

* * *

**~Chapter 10~**

**Request_Cook**

**Part 1**

In the early morning, Lux Arcadia immediately headed to the Academy.

He received a request. It came in the form of a letter made of high-quality material. The sender was Principal Relie herself.

[Workplace] Royal Officer Academy, New Kingdom of Atismata fourth Machine Dragon hangar.

[Client] Academy Instructor, **Raigree Balheart**.

[Work contents] Maintenance Drag-Rides.

Inside the letter, a visitor guide of the Academy was also included. The drawn map of the campus showed Lux the way. It was quiet, there was no sign of students walking around. Perhaps, classes had yet to start at this time of the day.

Lux read the map as he traced along the path. Relie-san said the hangar was located at the premise of this place. Oddly enough, the location of the hangar did not mention in the map's legend. Only a pen mark written "come to this place" and an arrow pointed at the exact spot he was standing.

"Are you the one assigned by the Headmistress?"

Someone approached. A woman around the same age as Relie stood in front of Lux, asking him.

"Y-Yes, I'm Lux Arcadia. I'm here as requested to maintenance the Drag-Rides in the fourth Machine Dragon hangar."

"Arcadia?"

The woman blinked at his name. Her eyes, seemingly judgmental at the time, briefly shifted from the color of his hair to the black collar on his neck.

"I see, you're that child's family." The woman then looked at the little furball next to his feet. "And the little one?"

"This kitten is with me. I've been taking care of it."

For a brief moment, she smiled.

"You came just in time. My name is Raigree Balheart, I am an instructor of the Academy. I'm also in charge of commanding the officer cadets here while the third-years are away." Turning around, her long black haired fluttered in the gentle warm of the Sun. "Come, I will lead you to your workplace."

Lux followed as the female instructor led the way.

Due to its unlimited potential and mysterious origin, everything related to Machine Dragon technology was deemed as top secret by the Kingdom government.

The hangars located on various place of the country, owned by military, was not an exception either. The information was not something a normal citizen should need to know.

However, things like Drag-Ride exhibitions and museums were still opened to the public. Thanks to that, everyone can learn about the general facts of the Machine Dragon and the user, the Drag-Knight. Otherwise, if the true extent of something much more dangerous than weapons such as swords and firearms were leaked to the world, widespread panic would no longer be a far-fetched reality.

They arrived at a wide building. In Lux's view, it was a shelter made of bulky stone wall. Instructor Raigree unlocked the door and they went inside.

"Welcome to the secret fourth hangar of the Royal Officer Academy."

Despite the outside appearance, the inside of the building was massive, bigger than Lux could imagine.

All three common types of Drag-Rides, Wyvern, Wyrm and Drake were standing tall, immovable against the wall. The number increased to more than twenty armors. Quite a reasonable amount for the Drag-Knights of the academy to use in battles and trainings.

However, considering that the Machine Dragons were a valuable resource, the number probably would stop here. This should have been the limited armors the country military could offer to this place.

"Here is the list of identification numbers of each of the armors, the mechanic we hired last time already included the descriptions of his works."

Lux looked over the documents handed over by Raigree. The details included fixing the broken parts and replacing hardware of all the armors. There were some Drag-Rides that has yet to undergo maintenance, the malfunction problems were also listed out.

This should make his work easier.

"You should be able to find the necessary tools in that large case over there. And here, Relie informed me to let you keep this."

She gave Lux the spare key.

…..eh? Is that even okay?

"Giving me the spare key to a secret hangar is a little…"

"I understand. I gave my objection to this idea, too." The woman sighed, clenching the key a little bit tighter. "But that person just kept saying things like leaving these armors to your dedication."

"_Lux-kun is a reliable person, you know. There is no need to worry."_

If it was her, she would have said something selfish like that. Even instructor Raigree who was an upstanding adult shared the same thought with the boy.

Knowing Relie, she might even give him the permission to enroll and study in this Academy if she really wants to. Because she was a unique individual, that possibility could have become true with a simple reason such as a test entrance taking into consideration of co-education in the future.

Yes, that person was capable enough to do something like that using all the resources she has at her disposal.

Lux hoped these thoughts remained as an exaggeration.

"I should get back to prepare for classes. I entrust these machines to you. The ladies will use them in their training sections today so please handle them with care."

Having said that, the woman left the hangar. Lux stood inside that massive place alone.

The lack of presence and the silent atmosphere gave him the silly thoughts. These Drag-Rides were eyeing him with expectation.

"Starting from today, I'll be looking after you all, huh."

Rolling up his sleeves, the Chore Prince was ready to get to work.

* * *

**Part 2**

"Um. Test, test…..1, 2, 3…."

Lux spoke to the mic on a Wyrm. He turned it off and put another tick mark on the list. This one was functioning alright.

The cat yawned as it bathed in the sunlight outside. Lux didn't not look at the time, the sun already went high enough that he no longer saw it at the hangar door.

Updating the old hardware, spraying paint on the armor, testing flight capacity and energy output through simulation interface, replacing the malfunctional limbs and cleaning the Sword Devices.

He had been doing various things.

The structure of Drag-Rides was still a mystery to the world.

The Force Core, which is the power source of a Machine Dragon.

The metal named Mithril Dite, which is the main factor in enabling the whole-body armor to initial the transfer process in space. In another word, summoning. If people looked more into these concepts, there would be endless possibilities that they could apply to these machines.

He learned something new today.

Thanks to the manual and info about Machine Dragons that Airi had put her wholehearted effort to document, Lux was able to know his way around these armors a little bit more. The little sister really contributed a lot to this Academy.

As he wiped the dripping sweat on his head with a towel, the bell on the clock tower rang, signaling the end of morning lessons.

It was time for lunch break.

He went outside the large gate led to the edge of a cliff that looked out the vast Kingdom of Atismata. Sitting at that place, Lux chewed on the sandwiches he prepared for lunch. The little kitty's lunch was half the fried fish he cooked beforehand and brought along.

The sounds of students lively echoed around the campus, which was a short distance from here. Taking in the beautiful sight and the clean air, Lux smiled without knowing.

He enjoyed the fresh air of such a calm place.

"You're here." A familiar voice interrupted his chain of thoughts.

It was Airi Arcadia, who came to visit her clumsy brother.

* * *

**Part 3**

"Why would Nii-san choose to eat on a cliff?"

"I just want to enjoy the scenery." Lux laughed awkwardly at her question. "Airi, aren't you going to spend time with your friends?"

"Ara, does that means Nii-san doesn't want me to be here?"

"I didn't mean it that way."

Fixing her skirt, the young girl sat next to him.

"I just came here to check on you, seeing how Nii-san is handling the given job on your first day at the Academy. I would like to make sure you're not being lazy."

"…."

"What is it?" Airi asked after noticing the long silent gaze directed at her.

"Your cheek is red."

"!?" She panicked.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Lux extended a hand to her forehead. "Let me see."

"I-It's Nii-san's fault I become like this!" She shifted away.

"Ehhhhh!? It's my fault!?"

"This is why you're so clumsy!"

"Eh? Eh? Huh?" Multiple question marks flied around his head. "What did I do!?"

To the jaw dropped big brother, Airi turned away, coughing to clear her throat and shrugging off this silly atmosphere as she handed him a note.

"In any case, the Headmistress has some new requests she wants to make."

He looked at the note. There were two urgent requests given by Relie.

The first.

"Make food in the cafeteria?"

The second.

"Meet the Machine Dragon Research and Development chief at the Drag-Ride's atelier?"

He understood the second request due to his interaction with the Drag-Rides of the academy. As for the first, the boy really had no clue as to what that person was thinking. Aside from the main job, she really did plan on having him to work on multiple requests within the Academy vicinity.

"Airi, for example." Slightly trembling at an idea appeared in his head, Lux slowly said. "If I was requested to clean the girl's public path by Relie-san, what would you think?"

"Outrageous." A sharp gleam rose on Airi's calm expression. "If Nii-san is having that idea while you're working here, I will prefer to view you as a pervert and stay away then I'll go reprimand the Headmistress."

Her cold chilling voice was enough to shake his core.

"In the case it really happens, please help me admonish Relie-san's common sense."

"I shall try my best."

Aside from their purpose, the sibling seemed to unite their thoughts once more by a mischievous person.

* * *

**Part 4**

"Achoo!"

Somewhere inside the campus, the mischievous woman in her blooming age gracefully covered her mouth as she sneezed.

"Onee-chan, sick?"

"No, onee-chan is okay." Saying that, however, Relie had this mysterious smile forming on her lip. "Interesting, my intuition is somehow telling me a challenge is up. Phi, are you still hungry?"

Philuffy nodded, three empty plates were in front of her.

"Let's go to the cafeteria, I'm sure today lunch will bring you lots of satisfaction~." She ended those words with a cute wink.

* * *

**Part 5**

Cleaning up everything and locked the door, the sibling walked together to the next destination of Lux's request. His jobs in the hangar was done for today.

Along the way, Lux noticed many odd gazes from the students. It was an unfamiliar feeling. It made him feel uneasy.

Come to think of it, he was inside an all-girl Academy.

…..ah, now I'm nervous.

Naturally, this was a place he should not belong, considering he was a boy.

…it's no wonder if they are putting a distance from me.

Putting in a position like himself, he could hardly be accepted. As he also came from the lineage that hated by its own people and the world.

What if an accident happened here and he was in the center of it?

Wouldn't that be really bad for him?

Wouldn't it also affect Airi's reputation in this school?

"It's best that you shouldn't look around too much, others would get the wrong idea."

"R-Right."

They entered a large building, passing through the corridors.

"Eh? Is that a boy?"

"What is he doing in here?"

"He looks kind of cute~."

He heard whispered among the girls they walked by. Lux stood out more than he expected.

"Airi-chan!" A female student came to them. "I've been looking for you, would you like to have lunch with us?"

"I'm afraid I cannot join you right now, we have an urgent request. Perhaps I will come back later when I finished my given task."

The student shifted her view to Lux, who stood behind her friend.

"By the way, who is this gentleman?"

"He is requested by the Headmistress to do some works for the Academy, I'm guiding him to his next workplace."

"Oh, I apologize for interrupting."

Lux shook his head. And to his surprise, the girl approached him.

"Before you go, may I have your name?"

"Eh?"

"Eh!?" Airi widened her eyes, her reaction was prominent than Lux.

"The same hair and eyes color like Airi-chan, are you perhaps the favorite Nii-san she is always-?"

"E-Excuse us!" The little sister quickly grabbed the brother's arm and dragged him with her.

"W-Wait, she hasn't finished?"

"If we don't hurry, Nii-san will be late for your next job."

Airi-chan was persistent and lost a little of her cool.

Inside the grand hall, a slender figure with long blue haired appeared. She paled a little when the famously beautiful Krulcifer fixed her gaze on them both. Lux was obvious to the girl's observation as he didn't aware of her presence. On the other hand, Airi was fully conscious of the mysterious smile revealed on that girl whose appearance looked like a fairy.

"Mumu, if I processed that component, maybe the appearance would look cooler. Hm? It's that man with the two Sword Devices from before."

"Ah, it's Lu-chan."

At different corners of the cafeteria, the princess Lisesharte and childhood friend Philuffy noticed the sibling passed by outside the hallway. The little sister kept pulling while the big brother remained clueless until they arrived at his next workplace.

The kitchen.

"Nii-san." Airi gasped for air as she turned to look at him straight in the eyes.

"Yes?"

"Please have a little more self-aware of your standout ability."

"Even though I didn't do anything!?"

"Great job, Airi-chan~! Now that Lux-kun is here….."

Headmistress Relie was already there in the same room, she was holding something like a list of recipes and a uniform. The woman was looking forward to this, which was why she waited for them.

"Here you go." She gave him the items. "I have notified the staff to lend you a hand, everything in the kitchen is for you and your talent to be put to use."

"Relie-san, it sounds like you're having fun."

"Fufu~, I am. In fact, I really want to eat your cooking, too." She had a faint blush on her cheeks. "Phi and I will be waiting."

Airi sweat dropped and Lux could only smile dryly. Once that person left, the boy let out a sigh. Having a mischievous personality and always do thing at her own pace, such was the Principal of the Academy.

One of the staffs called out to Lux, explaining the procedure that everyone was required to do before stepping into the cook position.

Lux didn't expect much. He already knew the staff were all females.

Despite nervous to work in such environment, he persuaded himself to focus on the task.

"Remember, Nii-san. The ladies here have high expectation of the quality of the food. Do your best not to let them change their opinions about that certain fact." Informing him with a cool smile, Airi eventually left together with his feline friend.

"What do they expect from someone who is still a novice in cooking?"

Lux took off the black gloves on his hand, which already covered in a layer of bandage to hide the healed marks of his torn skin. The boy put on the garment and an apron.

Once he was prepared, Lux rolled up his sleeves again.

* * *

**Part 6**

There was an issue with the term novice that Lux used to describe his ability to cook.

His definition of the word itself was vastly different in comparison to the common understanding of the people around him.

According to the world-wide dictionary, novice was a term used to depict a person new or inexperienced in a particular work, a beginner.

In Lux's case, it might have carried the same meaning. As Principal Relie once stated, his culinary skills were believed to be outstanding based on what she heard from the citizens of Cross Field.

Lux never confirmed it to be true.

Throughout the years handling odd jobs inside snack bars, restaurants and hotels. Everything he did were mostly serving customers and helping the cooks to decorate food. Only when the situation asked for it, he would be willing to cook alongside the chiefs.

Every time that happened, the amounts of customers pouring into the place increased. However, the number won't tell anything.

"I finished!" Lux informed the staff.

They brought out his cook and distributed the content to various dishes. The students took it back to their seats and ready to eat.

The Chore Prince was never confident in his culinary skills. Because of a simple reason.

Whenever he cooked for himself, the food always tastes normal to him. There was nothing impressive about it.

Lux believed it was his limit. And that belief of his….

Was a fatal mistake.

The girls took a bite delicately, chewing.

"Guh….gh….!"

"W-What is this taste…..?"

"….uwa…It's really delicious!"

"I can't stop moving my hand….I can't stop….Hau…!"

"Nooo! I want to maintain my figure. But I want a second so badly!"

Their breathing became erratic, gasping.

At her own seat, Airi had no idea what was happening to the students. She hadn't touched her plate yet, but the sight was too difficult to be ignored.

"Ahhh~."

The oddly soft, alluring moan came from her friend startled her. That girl's face was burning red as she swallowed the food.

"Airi-chan…..this is…the best feeling….guh….." Her body shook lightly between bites, as if a flow of electricity raced through it, massaging every nook and cranny of her skin.

"The flavors…..they're invading all of my senses…kuh…"

"…what could….inspire…..such…"

"Munya. Munya. It's good." Philuffy ate everything in a casual manner. A tingle of red on her cheeks, she enjoyed it. "Nostalgic."

Headmistress Relie giggled, she glanced at Airi and gave her a wink. The little sister had never eaten Lux's cooking, she wouldn't know how much potential he had.

"This is nothing like…the food we used to eat."

Most of the students in the cafeteria found themselves in a daze, relaxing after the meal. Yes, it was super effective.

…this was….made by Nii-san…

Airi looked back at her meal. Her shaking hand grasped the spoon and fork, gently sliced a piece of the meat and brought it to her mouth.

Immediately, the girl was engulfed in the same sentiment.

"Uwah."

"I don't know what happened, but this for some reason makes me feel embarrassing to watch."

"Yes. It's fortunate that we arrived late."

Outside the hall, the Triad witnessed the daily sight that somehow had gone weird in awe.

For every person, the taste of food during their first-time cooking will always be memorized so they can make it better the next time.

The same thing applied to Lux.

The only difference here lied in his hidden talent in culinary skills, the former prince went all-out on his first try without knowing. The flavors he tasted and felt in that moment already reached its full capacity to knock out even the pickiest eater in the world.

He remembered it, believing the taste of his first cook was an ordinary savor.

All the time he cooked for himself and during odd jobs, he was always going all-out to refine the flavor. Every time like that, he tasted the peak of his cooking ability and at the same time, completely clueless about the true quality.

Which was why it felt normal to him.

The former prince still thought that he was an amateur to this day.

He was truly the "weakest".

* * *

**Part 7**

Silence filled the atmosphere.

The sibling was on their way to the next location of the second request.

Lux pondered over Airi's strange behavior. She kept stealing glance at him, when he tried to make eyes contact, that girl avoided his gaze. He saw her ears slightly reddened.

"Airi." Her shoulder gave the slightest jolt at his voice. "Is something wrong?"

"Since when did Nii-san reach that level of cooking?" Soft tone left her lip, face hid away.

Lux quickly grasped her intention.

"I knew it, it wasn't enough to live up to their expectation."

Wrong!

"Never mind." Airi gave up on the topic.

The calm mood reached their minds.

In the end, Lux stayed in this Academy for nearly a whole day.

"Thinking back." The boy started. "Somehow, it was different from what I imagined. I thought the staff would feel uncomfortable around me since I'm the only boy in this place. Turned out I was wrong, I might say they were really opened when they spoke to me."

"It can't be help if you felt that way."

This peace right now was born from the ending that came at the fallen of a tyranny Empire.

Although the system changed five years ago, men were still an object of caution for these girls, especially when they came from noble families.

Back then, noble women were treated as tools for political marriages during the reign of the Old Arcadia Empire. For that reason, they never felt that close to men.

"After the coup d'état, years have passed without major incident. I'm sure that for the people of the New Kingdom, it's still like a dream." The younger sister gazed into the distance. "Like they are in the middle of a happy festival."

"Yeah, after everything that happened, maybe this peace is a happy ending everyone deserve. I wonder if it can continue like this forever."

"To us, a happy ending might still be far away."

"….."

Lux halted his steps, staring at the ground.

"What's the matter, Nii-san?"

They were on a deserted path, no signs of people around.

"There's still time. Let's talk a little more, Airi. This should be good place to continue where we left off."

Airi nodded. They decided to stop under the shade of the trees, he sat on the grass while she leaned against the trunk, listening.

"To be honest, I'm very concerned about the information the spy left to me. I want to go back to that room and search for clue as fast as possible. Something is going on, something of a very large scale is about to happen sooner or later."

"You know that can't be done with the investigation still ongoing at the scene."

Lux took a deep breath.

"Several weeks ago."

"?"

"Several weeks ago, the garrison located on the desert near the border of the Kingdom was captured by the bandits due to the help of their inside man."

Eyes slowly widened, Airi continued to listen.

"That man was capable enough to be included in the premilitary unit, I looked into his info while I was doing various requests in a nearby town. He was recommended and assigned to that place by one of the nobles in the Royal Capital."

"D-Does that means….?"

"It was fake, all the info of his background was false. He was just another bandit, yet he managed to blend in with the guard corps thanks to the help of someone."

After Lux utterly crushed his Drag-Ride in a quick battle, the man finally had the motivation to admit everything.

"The capture of the garrison and the many raids on innocent lives and properties around the region were planned out carefully by that man. People tried to get help from the capital. But their callings were never heard or reached anyone, due to that man's doing."

"Nii-san, who was that person?"

"An army strategist who was reduced to no more than a petty thief after the rebellion five years ago. He came from the Old Arcadia Empire."

A shocking revelation revealed under the cold tone of the former seventh prince.

"The former strategist and the bandits seized one of the Kingdom garrisons and stole the Drag-Rides for the purpose of wreaking havoc to revenge the Old Empire, was it simply just that?"

Then, there were the presence of a spy and the war room inside the abandoned church.

Then, there was the egg of an Abyss brought into Cross Field.

Then, there was the sound of a flute, which he was sure that he heard it before.

"Rather than a coincidence, I think it was much bigger than that."

Putting the pieces of a puzzle together, the whole picture remained blurry to some extent. But they could see the concept a little bit clearer.

There was something in the dark. The hands of the unknown secretly fitted all the gears together. At this point, a whole plan was put into motion.

"You can't possibly mean…."

"Yeah, this whole thing is suspicious. We don't have concrete evidences. Unless we can get what we're looking for inside that room, we won't be able to come up with anything further than this."

The boy clenched his fists.

"Airi, this is just a guess from me. They could be doing that to conduct some sort of operation, perhaps a rebel army or…..."

He connected the missing dots.

"**A plan to overthrow the New Kingdom of Atismata."**

A chilling breeze froze Airi's back. The nightmare of five years ago could be repeated.

"Velvet."

"!?"

"The spy mentioned that name to me during our confrontation. If he is part of the remnant of the Old Empire, the name will definitely bring some bells."

**Velvet Barth**, the chief of the Imperial Guards Knight.

"Nii-san. These are just your speculations, right?"

"As long as the survivors of the Empire are still out there, it is a possibility." The former prince of that Empire turned to his little sister, a hand place on the black sword wrapped in cloth behind his waist. "And if that became the truth, those survivors have yet to learn anything from their downfall."

The atmosphere around the two went grim.

"What do you intend to do?"

"All I can do now is wait." He smiled in awkward, a hint of bitter lingered. "I can't go near the church site, and I don't plan to find myself strayed off our purpose and bring trouble to my sister. Airi tried so hard to maintain these relationships with everyone."

There was no more than they could do aside from sticking to their purpose and paying the debt.

It can't be helped.

"I understand Nii-san's feeling." She was relieved to hear that. "It's good that you give some thoughts to make the right decision."

Was it really the right choice? Lux kept those voiceless words to himself.

"On a side note, have you check my Wyvern's output energy?" He stood up, dusting off his clothes.

"The analysis regarding the data from your battle with the Gargoyle is finished. Nii-san's skills as a Drag-Knight has certainly improved a lot."

He was capable enough to defeat an entire army of bandits with just a common type Machine Dragon.

"Well, things happened. I'm confident now that I can hold my own against the Abyss using a Wyvern. I mention this because I don't want Airi to worry about me, you know."

"It was reckless."

"Eh?" That was not the reaction he expected.

He was just trying to tell Airi that she shouldn't worry too much about his safety.

"Using a Wyvern against an army of bandit was way too reckless! As expected, I really can't take my eyes off Nii-san! Who knows what kind of irrational thoughts you had had during the time you were gone!?"

"EEhhhhhh!?"

Apparently, it backfired.

"This conversation is over." Airi pouted, she went on ahead without waiting.

The clumsy big brother had to catch up and appease her.

* * *

**Part 6**

Her task was to guide him to the atelier, once they reached the place, her job was completed. Airi returned to the campus alone. She was still irritated by Lux's intention.

But, giving some thoughts about it, that big brother of her had always been acting like that with his soft-hearted nature.

Two years.

Even though it seemed short, that was a long timespan that could bring change to a person as they went out to the world. She should be happy that Lux Arcadia remained the same.

"_I don't care about that title."_

Did he?

Did he truly not change at all?

He saw himself as the Chore Prince, an existence similar to that of the common citizens.

He never regarded himself as a hero, for he did not deserve such caliber.

He was the weakest.

During the coup, he took over the role of a hero to lead the rebel army against the Old Empire along with that person. It was a self-sacrifice position he decided to choose in order to gain trust from all allies across the regions.

After five years, he never bothered with that title again. He seemed to dislike it, being called a hero.

It wasn't just that.

Airi recalled the data she received during the adjustment of Lux's Wyvern.

In two years, he modified the Machine Dragon to the point it brought tremendous burden in stamina to even an experienced Drag-Knight. The operation difficulty of that Wyvern was now on the average level of that other Sword Device. The user could easily end up causing harm to themselves if not being careful due to fatigues accumulated at a faster rate.

To think Lux had used the same Wyvern to fight an Abyss alone. So far, no ordinary human in the world would pull something so suicidal. What was he doing to his own safety? That would be no different than crossing the line to reach the zone beyond his limit.

Airi recalled the many tales he told her in the letters. He said things happened. Then what exactly happened in those two years?

What was it that he tried to surpass? Was it the person they were searching for?

"Nii-san…even though you…."

The Black Hero.

The legendary figure who singlehandedly destroyed the whole Empire and vanished without a trace, leaving the world as the biggest mystery.

What he did brought peace.

From that peace, the New Kingdom was born.

However, the survivors from that dragon's rampage set up a plan to bring back the old system that once spread darkness to the world.

It was a possibility, he said.

Airi pondered over the words during their last exchange.

..….truly, he always bring troubles and difficulties upon himself. How could I not worry about him?

The little girl took a deep breath, her routine changed.

As she approached the three girls who were in Dress Gear for Drag-Ride training, she spoke with a determined expression.

"Sharis-senpai, may I borrow a little of your time?"

* * *

**Part 7**

Lux stood in front a large detached building. He lightly knocked the door a few times.

"Excuse me, it's Lux Arcadia. The Headmistress told me to come here to meet the chief of Machine Dragon Research and Development department."

The request simply stated that he needs to meet the person. Once he finished, he will come back to town and do his usual chores again.

There was no respond, he checked the time on the big clock tower again.

"Excuse me, is anyone inside?"

The whole frame moved as he pushed, it wasn't locked.

…this is careless.

It made him wonder if it was because this place located deep within the school premise. Lux walked in, the brick wall filled with the thick smell of oil and metal struck his nostril. The numerous parts and tools scattered around the floor startled the boy. There were the signs of explosions occurred in the back, collapsed ceiling and broken wood logs.

Everything was messy.

The cat on his head jumped off and wandered to somewhere else, its nose might not be durable enough to handle the thick smell.

In the corner, a strange Drag-Ride he had never seen before lied motionlessly. The body was incomplete. Perhaps, it was a project from the chief themselves.

…talk about the chief.

No one was around, only Lux.

He found documents on a table, the Drag-Ride manual and another book seemed to be in the middle of being written. Lux sat down on a sofa, placing his Sword Devices on the table and flipped the pages. It wrote many things about the existence of the machinery weapon known as the Machine Dragon.

Detail descriptions of components, weapons, armors, thruster engines, hardware, characteristic of the special metal Mithril Dite and the Force Core all laid out on these pages.

He stopped at one section in the book named projects. It had the drawing of Drag-Ride appearances and several new equipment.

…..Chimeric Wyvern?

The fusion of the bodies of Wyvern and Drake.

….This looks amazing!

He glanced at the incomplete Drag-Ride in the corner, they were trying to create a new Machine Dragon.

It was a new type of Drag-Ride the world has never seen before.

The ancient weapons found in the Ruins, despite the discovery took place more than ten years, the concrete principle of these technology remained a mystery. At best, a mechanic can only perform adjustments to the degree of either installing the existing parts or replacing them.

A person who was very passionate about the Machine Dragon, the chief of this place must have been a genius mechanic with vast knowledge about Drag-Ride to come up with something like this.

But they were not here.

Maybe there was an error in the schedule Relie gave him. Since it was only a meeting, he should wait a little bit more.

"*Yawn*"

…..no good, I'm sleepy.

He did a lot of works after all. Maintenance Drag-Ride, cooking, cleaning and washing dishes. Working with the Machine Dragon was a heavy labor.

Lux placed the note Airi gave him on the table and lied down to take a short nap. If the chief came in while he was resting, they should know who he was by reading the note.

He didn't mean to be rude. On the other hand, it couldn't be helped that the drowsiness was invading his mind.

Resting the back of his hand on the forehead, Lux closed his eyes.

* * *

**Part 8**

"Allow me to enlighten you, the privilege of being a princess doesn't apply to every little thing."

"O-Of course, who do you take me for? All I ever did was giving my demand to see the cooks. The food was very done-well, I just wanted to compliment them for that."

"As I recall, you already did that when you collapsed on the table in a trance."

"Nah!?"

"But I agree, it was surprisingly appetizing. Though you should be aware that the staffs are always busy."

"Didn't it happen to you, too? Your body was trembling so much you could hardly gasp for air. From what I saw, the usually cool and mysterious air around the famous exchange student was swept away after the first bite."

"Ara, I wonder what you are talking about."

Outside the atelier, a small, tender hand grabbed the doorknob.

"?"

"?"

A girl with blond hair went in first, the long hair on one side of her head was tied up with a black ribbon. Her deep crimson pupils, sharp like the tip of a sword fell on the sleeping figure of a certain boy.

Another girl followed her from behind, her long flowing blue hair seemed to shine in that dark place. Her cold sapphire eyes fell on the same figure.

Lux, who had gone too deep into his slumber, did not aware of their presences.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: I went and managed to finish the drafts of the remaining chapters of Arc 2, I will complete them and update the rest in the next couple of weeks. I'm sorry to say this but w******hat comes after the last chapter of this arc will be oneshots or short stories that loosely connect to each other. ** Since my free time is very limited from now on, ******I lost the motivation to continue writing long story arcs. I need to invest on other things. ****

**I will continue to write but oneshots and short stories are everything I can do for now, thank you for reading my stories. Take care!**


	11. Chapter 11: Apprentice-Suspense

********Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.********

* * *

**~Chapter 11~**

**Apprentice_Suspense**

**Part 1**

Lux heard whispers and woke up. The first sight came to his view was something out of this world, as if he was inside a dream.

It was a fairy.

Cool sapphire eyes and her face carried the existence of an otherworldly beauty. She stared at him, the faint smile that appeared so captivating yet mysterious had the shade of light pink.

Lux had had many interactions with the person of opposite gender. However, this was the first time his mind frozen before such a lovely charm. Every blurry thought inside his head were swept away by that radiant aura around her.

"So pretty." Those words unconsciously slipped his mouth.

For a brief moment, the beautiful fairy was caught off guard as her eyes slightly widened in surprise. But she smiled again, the former Prince couldn't avert his sight away from that face.

"Am I?" Her voice was soft, a hint of allure lingered somewhere in those words she spoke.

Lux couldn't really tell if the shining aura around her was warming his cheeks, he felt the burn creeping to his face. He returned an awkward.

"I should say, that is a wonderful pickup line to someone you first met."

"Eh?" Lux blinked, titling his head to the side.

He was not looking at a fairy. That radiant light he saw around her wasn't covering the girl. It came from the lamp behind her. She was leaning on the sofa, using the arms to support her chin while she quietly watched him.

"G-Good afternoon."

Lux managed to let out a shaking voice at the realization. It might have been too late to fix it.

"Good afternoon, I hope you're aware that you have such a cute sleeping face."

She greeted and giggled softly, causing cold greyishs instantly went wide in disbelief. His whole face turned redder in embarrassment for saying those words without an ouch of shame. She must have thought his reaction was funny.

"I'm s-sorry for sleeping in here." Lux rose up, shifting away from the blue haired girl's personal space. "Are you the chief?"

"If you are looking for the chief of the atelier then I am not that person." Her gaze shifted up, shooting a glance at another direction. "She is."

He followed her line of sight, another girl with blond hair was sitting on the opposite side of the table. That girl wore a scientist gown. A curious expression on her face as she stared at the Sword Device wrapped in cloth. She held it in her grasp, one of the hands rested on the handle, ready to pull the blade.

"Aaaaaahh!" Lux jumped once the black sword left its scabbard. "That's!?"

"This is a good sword. It will be a nice preference material for my next project." She said, stars glittered in her hot irises. "This sword is yours, isn't it? Can I borrow it to do some examination?"

She already went ahead and did that, though.

"Y-You can't!" Lux panicked. He reached over the table and that girl backed away, hugging the black sword.

"So stingy! Just a little!" She gave him a pout.

"I'm sorry! Even so, that's….."

"You have to pardon the chief. She has an overly obsession with the Machine Dragon technology."

"I would prefer to hear you rephrase it, Krulcifer. It is not an obsession. It is called passion, talent and hobby."

This girl was the chief, said by the person named Krulcifer who was watching with an amused expression. She was indeed wearing a scientist gown, yet the hem was too long that they dragged on the floor. The appearance hardly convinced him to see the image of a genius who developed the incomplete Drag-Ride in the back of the room.

"Hm? Oh ho, is that a provocation I'm sensing? Very good, I'll take it on." She laughed with proud and sheathed the weapon.

The girl spun around, making a dramatic pose as her gown lifted up, her hair flew in the air.

"To the fool who has yet to realize the true capability this me is holding, I am Lisesharte Atismata! the chief of the Machine Dragon Research and Development division, a first-class Drag-Knight. Because I have gracefully showed my ability and gave enough result to be entrusted with this position by the New Kingdom, this place became my personal atelier."

Ta da! Special effect from somewhere suddenly lit up the background. Krulcifer sighed, a faint smile on her lip regardless.

"How's that, are you surprised?"

"…"

Lux didn't say or react anything to the introduction. The uncertain look kept directing at the blond girl who began to fluster at his stare.

"Hey, s-say something! How long are you going to keep staring at me!?"

"Eh? That's all?" Now he was surprised.

"Of course!"

"You made him speechless, well done." Krulcifer commented. She grabbed an additional Sword Device from a rack near the wall. "I suppose this is where I should take my leave. My presence here would hinder your business."

"Remember, Krulcifer. The Drag-Ride you're going to use is 20% stronger than a common type, the burden will also increase. Don't push yourself too hard."

"This is just a little test for my own skills, thank you for the warning either way."

The blue haired beauty left, only the two of them stayed inside the atelier.

"…"

"…"

Lux didn't know where to start. Hold it! She said her last name was Atismata. But that name was also included in the name of the country. Wouldn't that mean…..!?

"EEeeeehhhhhh!?"

"Now you appear shocked!? Too late, this delay for recognizing me as a genius is unacceptable!"

No, he was shocked at something else.

Lisesharte Atismata, the Princess of the New Kingdom. And Lux Arcadia, the former Prince of the Old Empire. An unlikely meeting between them was happening. What would become after this if she found out his identity?

"You. What is your name?"

He flinched.

"L-Lux Arcadia, I'm working as the Chore Prince for the people of the New Kingdom." Lux slowly introduced himself, his heart was thumbing loudly inside his chest.

"Hm? Arcadia?" A sharp glint appeared in the girl's fierce red eyes froze Lux. She looked at his hair and the black collar on his neck. "Oh, it is that Fallen Empire."

It was no doubt she took it as the infamous name of the former country everyone despised. Hopefully, nothing will go wrong.

"I see, I see." To his surprise, Lisesharte smiled. "You are Airi's big brother."

"Eh? Lisesharte-sama, you know my little sister?"

"Of course! Airi is a very sociable girl. She is willing to accept any task given by everyone in the Academy. You see, one of the books about Drag-Ride on the table was co-written by that girl and I."

"Eeeehhhhhhhhh!?"

"Fufu~, she's a very hardworking person. Airi even helped me to write down the details of my projects while we stayed up the whole night."

Lux could see the delight in the Princess's eyes as she talked about his sister. To think Airi would contribute this much to the school and liked by the Princess. That girl had been working to the best of her effort to help others while he was gone.

…Airi, Nii-san is so proud of you!

"How interesting. Who would have thought the one our Headmistress spoke of to me would be you. The former Prince of that Empire. To meet each other like this, maybe this is fate."

Lux smiled sheepishly.

"Well, since you're the Chore Prince, I shall have you work like a horse for me."

Work like a horse?

Seeing the confused look on Lux's face, she continued.

"What? You don't know? The Headmistress didn't tell you the purpose of this meeting?"

"She didn't…? W-What did that person tell you?"

The Princess softly coughed into her fist.

"**She told me to make you my apprentice."**

The news struck him in the ears like the world was hit by a giant meteor.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?"

"N-Not too loud! You startle me!"

Lux hugged his head, all facial muscles twisted in horror.

"That person! What is she thinking!?"

"Fufufu~. Rejoin, Lux Arcadia! For I am a lenient and generous Princess to those who are competent!" Paying zero attention to Lux's petrifying look, she declared. "For starter, I'll have you become a personal guinea pig for my projects."

"I don't have a say in this!?"

"No." She smiled, as bright and warm as the sun. "You're mine apprentice, after all."

Lux hang his head in defeat. That was it! He will muster up the courage to burst into the Headmistress's office and confront that mischievious person!

"Don't show that gloomy face. The Headmistress is doing this for your sake."

He will have the talk with Rel-eh? What is that?

"You're doing her request by working in the fourth Machine Dragon hangar, aren't you? By no mean the work of maintenance Drag-Ride is an easy job, which is why she wants you to work with me as my apprentice. Personally speaking, I do not think that it is such a bad idea….well, I may feel a little bit annoyed since my private place is no longer private."

Lux sweat dropped. She looked away while muttering the last part.

"You will be able to gain valuable experiences as a fellow Drag-Ride user like me. On the other hand, I have an apprentice to help me with my projects. That is essentially hitting two birds with one stone." Lisesharte nodded. "A great plan."

Lux sighed inwardly. They closed off all his escape route. Still, this was alright.

"I understand, Lisesharte-sama."

"You can call me Lisha as my classmates do."

"Yes, Lisha-sama." He bowed. "I'll look forward to your guidance from now on."

"And I'll look forward to working alongside you, my apprentice."

Even though his position as the apprentice of the Princess of the New Kingdom was uncalled for, it would lead to a path that they were both eager to see.

With this, the meeting was fulfilled. The fates of these two had been entwined.

"Well, that's it for today's introduction." Lisesharte was delight at how this ended. "Is there something else you would like to know more about the chief and this place?"

Lux took a moment to ponder. He didn't have any particular question related to the discussed matter, but he would like to speak about something else.

After all, she was still clutching the black sword.

"Um, I would like to have that Sword Device back. I was told to strictly manage it by her Majesty the Queen."

"Are you sure?" She let out a grumpy voice.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room tensed up. The shift in emotional environment gave him cold sweat.

"Y-Yes, I'm sure." Lux stood his ground.

"My aunt said that to you, huh." Lisesharte was somewhat disappointed to hear it, no one knew what kind of thoughts were in her mind as she glared at him. "Can I at least do a little examination? Such as checking the data of its output energy?"

She made a lovely smile.

"Or even remodel it?"

One shake of his head and that smile shattered like glass.

"F-Fifteen minutes! This is a really good sword, and the appearance is really catchy to me!"

Lux objected again, a little paled.

"T-Ten minutes! No, five minutes! Just a glance, it won't harm!"

"No can do." He closed his eyes and gave a firm reply.

"Hmph! Even though you are my apprentice." She pouted. "Even though you are just a former Prince."

"That has nothing to do with this. Please, Lisesharte-sama. It you would."

"Fine, you can have it back."

Lisha looked away and handed him back the sword. Lux smiled awkwardly and took it. Despite being a Princess, she had the attitude of a child throwing a tantrum for not being able to get the toy she wanted. As the cold touch of metal on her palm disappeared, Lisha noticed it reappeared again. When she looked back, a white sword was in her grasp.

"I can't show you the other one. Though, I can entrust my Wyvern to Lisha-sama's care."

"Will you let me make any change to it? Like installing a drill?" She asked him, an eyebrow raised up.

"I can't say anything until I see it with my own eyes. At the moment, these two are the handiest for me."

She switched her gaze from the two swords to his neutral expression.

"You are a strange fellow, Lux."

Lux responded to her remark with a thin smile. The Princess unsheathed the sword and put it on a work desk. She began to examine the body of the blade that had gone through many battles with Lux.

"Did you use this sword in a recent battle?"

"?"

"Some places on the edge has become dull. There are fresh traces of metal hitting."

Greyish orbs widened.

"This was used in a sword fight. An actual battle with a real weapon, perhaps another Sword Device? Still, aside from these features, the sword looks very new as it's polished on a daily schedule."

Wasn't he digging his grave at this rate? This Princess, she was an expert.

After the battle with the Gargoyle, Lux had yet to ask a certain mechanic to fix the armor on his Wyvern. If he summoned it and let her have a look, she would notice the many signs of scratches and minimal damages occurred during his battles with the spy and the Abyss.

Questions would pop up. She would ask him. Unless he could answer, she would doubt him, discovering a suspicious individual for his Drag-Ride containing suspected evidences involving the fight occurred at the church site on that night.

He was never that good of a liar, that was a big problem.

"Lux, what is the summoning chant of th-"

"Ah, I almost forgot!" Lux took out the note from the pouch on his belt. "I have an arrangement for the next request after this, I should hurry and get back to work."

"You do?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Lisha-sama. Maybe we can continue this some other time."

Lux steadily reached to the sword. Unfortunately, Lisha returned it into the scabbard and kept it.

"In that case, you can leave this sword here. I'll do a little fixing and polishing together with your Drag-Ride."

….NO!

"Lisha-sama, as much as I want to leave it here in your care at this very moment, I can't do it." He made a serious face.

"Huh?"

"That Sword Devices, you see. I've made a promise to meet with a mechanic I'm acquaintance with. After the last request, I will head there to give him the sword for a short checkup. My Drag-Ride has been in his care for years, and he has been doing it with great passion. I can ask him for a detail description about my sword maintenance and pass it to you. If Lisha-sama is the one I will leave my weapons in your care from here on, I want to let him know."

The Princess turned her gaze to the sword, a somewhat downcast look in her eyes.

"Very well. If you put it like that." She gave it back to him. "I suppose you will show it to me in the next meeting?"

"Yes, I will. Goodbye, Lisha-sama."

After one bow of gratitude, Lux quickly left.

* * *

**Part 2  
**

Lisha fell on the sofa once she was finally alone in her personal atelier.

"Lux Arcadia, the former seventh prince of the Old Arcadia Empire and big brother of Airi. Never in my wildest dream that someone like him is my apprentice."

The Crowned Princess and the Fallen Prince, the two opposite positions like that of fire and water.

"_This is for his own good…..and perhaps, you too."_

She recalled those words from the Headmistress.

"Since the beginning, I've never come to like this idea."

Despite being a princess, Lisha was known to be a misanthrope. She didn't need a maid to attend to her. She would rather be alone and avoid people to do her work than spending time to interact with them. Though, there were some exceptions such as Airi and the Triad.

The brand below her stomach began to sting as memories from the past resurfaced.

Her whole body slightly trembled. Just now, she was alone inside the room with a boy, she tried her best to put on the front of a capable and experienced chief. The girl rubbed her shaking hand, placing both on her chest to control the breathing.

"If it is Airi's brother, maybe I can trust him. Let's see how things will go from now on."

Besides, that black sword on his waist.

She felt strangely attracted to it. The color of that sword reminded her of a certain figure.

"Black Hero."

Lisha muttered that name once more. She spent a short moment to remember the genuine wish she held on dearly.

* * *

**Part 3  
**

It was nearly dusk.

Noises echoed over the Coliseum. The officer cadets were improving their skills inside the practice field.

An orange Wyrm shot up to the sky, closely dodging the bullets by a hairbreadth. Another Drag-Ride chased after it, wire-tail brandished to create a long attack range. The Wyvern kicked the air and dashed toward the Wyrm at high speed. The other Machine Dragon, in return, prepared the weapon.

The sound of heavy metal clashing rumbled the calm mood of the campus.

"Kuh! Sharis is going all out today." Tillfur groaned at the pressure.

"We're at the top of our peers, but that doesn't give me the reason to stop getting stronger." Sharis grinned, she was serious in winning the mock battle.

The wire-tail ready to thrust the side of Tillfur's Wyrm, the light brown-haired girl quickly backed away in the nick of time.

That action gave Sharis the opening she needed. She was expecting it.

"There!"

The Breath Gun aimed straight at Tillfur. A barrage of light bullets came out, hitting the automatic shield.

[Barrier took damage, reduced shield performance to 80%]

"Winner, Sharis Barthshift!" On the spectator seat, instructor Raigree announced.

"Ah, ah. I fell for it." Tillfur's shoulder drooped in dread.

As she was about to descend, the girl saw the figure of the silver haired boy outside the Coliseum. He seemed to notice their mock battle in midair and observed from a distance.

"Oh, he is still here?"

"Oi~, Lux-cchi!" The Wyrm waved at Lux.

"Concentrate now, ladies. Dispel your Drag-Rides and take a short break." Raigree clasped her hands. "Krulcifer, it's your turn."

The beautiful girl moved to the broad ring area. Her hand was ready on the Sword Device.

"Krulcifer-san uses two swords this time?" Her partner asked, feeling uneasy due to the girl's strength.

"Not really, I will only pick one." Krulcifer drew the sword she borrowed from Lisha's atelier. "And it would be this."

Particles of light gathered around. The armor of a Wyvern wrapped around her slender body.

To the clueless girl who had no idea why she would use another sword, Krulcifer simply smiled before that girl even let out a sigh of relief, thinking this could have been another one-sided battle like usual.

"I will go all out from the beginning. If this happens to be a little roughed on your side, let me apologize in advance."

"Heh?"

It was a one-sided battle.

Three minutes into the match, the partner hugged the ground with her Drag-Ride. She was effortlessly defeated by a first-class Drag-Knight.

"Winner. Krulcifer Einfolk!"

Floating in the air, the crimson sky paint by sunset cloaked Krulcifer's armor. She had no interest on such a brilliant scenery or the announcement from the instructor but the figure of a single boy stood there in the campus.

A hologram popped up in the cockpit.

She traced her fingers on the keyboard and the screen zoomed in. Lux's whole face was in a clear view. As a Drag-Ride customized by Lisha, this function was added for scouting, it was that convenient.

"Lux Arcadia."

The boy with the black and the white swords, a mysterious existence aroused her curiosity all this time.

"_Nii-san is the clumsiest person in the universe…but…."_

As that boy walked off to the entrance, where a little cat was waiting to nudge his hair as its comfortable seat, the blue haired Krulcifer thought to herself. His appearance and personality-wise deemed himself to be weak in the eyes of everyone.

After hearing those words from Airi, would that really be the case?

….I will look forward to our introduction.

Her study at the Royal Officer Academy was starting to become more interesting.

* * *

**Part 4  
**

In the morning, at a certain backyard within Fort City.

"Weird, the water is completely drained out."

"Mister, how high was the water level yesterday?"

"As I recalled when I threw in the rope to measure, it was at this length that the tip touched the water."

"It was that short?"

"It was. But now there's no more water left in the well."

Lux stood near the stone-built hole on the ground with another man, who had requested for his service. To investigate the cause of a strange occurrence to the water resource in the area.

"Most of the families who live around here use this well to resupply water. I'll be counting on you."

"I understand, give me a minute to prepare."

The boy took off his cotton shirt and glove, leaving the belt with the two Sword Devices on the ground. He tied the rope around his waist.

"Lux-kun, w-what happened to your body!?" The man was startled by the many scars revealed on his back and the front.

"I got caught up in accidents due to my clumsiness." He replied with an awkward smile. "Please don't worry about it."

Having done the preparation, Lux climbed down the well. The man held the rope and steadily extended it to help the boy descend to the bottom. The little kitten was lying next to his personal belonging, bathing in the sunlight while acting like a guardian.

Until Lux feet touched the cold hard surface, he pulled the rope to signal the man to let go. He followed the narrowed passage. It seemed to lead further down to somewhere beneath the deepest corner of the world. The sunlight was bright enough to let him see how far in. The wall was still wet, not yet dried, the water level reduced to this spot just a while ago.

Lux decided to go deeper.

While crouching, he slipped passed a small crack on the wall. The small built body easily went through smaller spaces. There had yet to be any holes or signs that indicated the change in direction of the passage. What other reasons could possibly cause the water inside the well to drain out?

From this spot onward, the cave got less cramped. However, the air in these lower parts of the Earth were getting thin. It became harder to breath. Lux could barely see the light from behind. Any more than this would be difficult.

"Ah, found it."

He could feel his feet finally touching the odorless liquid. It retreated all the way in the underground, something must have occurred on the other end. Lux took a deep breath and dived into the water. Although he was not a professional diver like those fishermen at the harbor, Lux gained enough experiences to do his jobs properly under water.

…strange, I can feel something moving?

Sudden waves of vibration raced through his body in the underground channel. It repeated and repeated, each time stroking his tactile sensation.

Like the pulses of a heart, the vibration got stronger as he went deeper.

His eyes had gotten used to the dark, he could make out a little of the layout of the passageway. The path began to split as it became wider in nature and continued to stretch. Lux had no idea how much further he should swim to reach the other side. He was running out of air. He needed to halt this investigation and report back to the owner first. At the very least, the water resource was still here. The only matter that worried him was this sensation his body was sensing.

What was this vibration in the water?

* * *

**Part 5  
**

"Come on, boy! Smash that thing like your life depends on it!"

Holding the hammer firmly, Lux punched the spikes to let it neatly fitted in the timber. He was on the next job. He needed to fix a roof by replacing the broken parts with new wooden boards.

"Great job, take a break and we'll continue in half an hour!" The loud worker informed everyone.

The roof had a big hole in it. The while structure partially collapsed due to unknown reason. He was requested by the owner of a construction company to lend a hand in repairing it due to the shortage of human resource. For the time being, the previous request would be postponed. Lux will come back later to continue the request.

"Here's your lunch! Enjoy it to your heart's content!" The loud worker screamed in Lux's face.

"Shut up, boss! We're trying to relax here!" Others shouted at him.

Wait, he was the boss!?

Lux received his lunch box with a dried smile and found himself a place to sit, the little cat rested on his lap. He stared at the bustling streets while thinking about the unknown cause of the well and the vibration earlier.

Somehow, it gave him a bad vibe. He didn't like it.

"Woah! Look at that! In front the fountain!" A worker abruptly stood up, getting everyone's attention. "It's happening!"

The others rose up altogether, they watched the sight in anticipation. Lux rushed to the other side of the roof to check. In that certain place, stood a man holding a bouquet and a young woman. They shared a passionate look together.

"Um. What are we looking at exactly?" Lux turned to a worker.

"You don't know? That guy tried to hit on the boss's daughter. He succeeded and they fell in love. He used to work under him but lately he decided to start his own business so he can prove to the boss here that he is capable of taking care of his daughter."

Speaking of the boss, some men were holding him down with a handkerchief shoved in the mouth. Lux paled at the sight.

"Calm down boss, you can't act like a doting father to her forever. You have to let her go. A bird needs to leave the cage to spread wings."

That sounded profound despite the father was crying out bloody tears.

"Ohm oh! He's giving her that bouquet!"

"Come on!"

"Accept it, young miss!"

The whole roof roared and cheered for the couple. The young woman stretched her hand, she was about to accept the gift. Until a child ran past and snatched the flowers from the man's hand. They watched in dumbfound as the little thief vanished in the crowd.

The whole roof also went silent in dumbfound. Spitting the piece of fabric out of his mouth, the boss, the doting father laughed in a malicious tone.

"Muahahaha! As if I'm going to let go of my daughter so easily! I'll never allow that guy to marry my dearest child! It's a good thing I asked her cousin to mess up the meeting."

"Damn you, boss! You ruined everything!"

"You're awful!"

"Worst father of the year!"

"Say anything you want! What stands between her happiness and those who want to take my daughter's happiness from me is me!"

Everyone threw insults at the lousy head of the construction company. Lux quietly went back to his old spot and finished the meal.

* * *

**Part 6  
**

Works were done more than half-way.

"Honestly, how can a hole this big appears?"

"The owner of the house said this happened few days ago, around the evening. She described something like a bright red shape of a spear struck her home."

That detail had Lux fully shifted his attention. He frowned. It may have been one of the bullets shot out from the Abyss's wing. He was careless to let this happen.

"It disintegrated immediately after striking right on her husband's head."

Greyish orbs expanded in horror.

"What!? Is the husband alright!? What about the wife!?"

"His hair was badly burned, and he is scared for life. On the other hand, the wife was safe and sound."

Lux loosened his shoulder. It seemed everything was alright.

"I'm told that before the accident, they were having a quarrel. It came to the point where the man couldn't control his anger and slapped her in the cheek."

He took that back. It was not alright.

"Then the thing struck home, the man happened to be in the way. The wife was happy that her brute of a husband got what he deserved. She called it divine punishment. Well, I probably would call it like that, too. Seems fitting. He was lucky enough to survive, though."

"But where did that thing come from?"

"Beat me, you know the guards are doing an investigation at the third district. Many said an Abyss appeared there and it was killed by a Drag-Knight. This hole could have been the result of that clash."

In his head, Lux silently apologized the owner.

"By the way, did you notice the ground shake last night? I kept hearing these strange sounds while I was trying to sleep."

"I don't think so, my room is on the second floor. I don't know."

"Can you tell me more about it, mister?" It was about time Lux join in the seemingly rambling. "The sounds you heard of."

* * *

**Part 7  
**

According to the worker, he heard a faint noise repeatedly echoed beneath the earth. There was the slightest movement of the ground where it violently shook for a few seconds and stopped. It happened last night.

Others dismissed the info after hearing it, saying the man had been dreaming was more convincing to them.

"_He was drunk yesterday." _Lux kept that in mind.

He went to the fountain and took a small break before going to another job. When the boy asked the worker of his whereabout when he heard those strange, he received an important clue.

"_I collapsed near the fountain. I honestly don't remember exactly the location. But I also heard the gentle sound of raining on a pond."_

There was no rain. Lux stared at the ornamental structure inside a pool of water. Wouldn't that be enough to indicate this place?

"Hissss!"

"Ouch! Your claws is scratching my head. What's wrong?"

Both ears shot straight up, twitching. Irises sharpened and the tiny fangs laid bared. The little cat was acting strange once he came near the place, it didn't react like this before. It was being disturbed. It was feeling discomfort, agitated by the unseen force. As if it couldn't handle the invisible pressure, the cat jumped down from Lux's head and ran off.

"Little puppy, what's the matter?"

Not far from where Lux was, a girl was comforting her trembling dog. Her eyes filled with worry seeing the pet curled into a ball and refused to go anywhere near the fountain. It was said that animals' senses were ten times sensitive than a normal human. Did they detect something human didn't not have the ability to notice?

As Lux realized the fact, a seemingly ordinary yet rare event occurred in front of his eyes and everyone in that place.

…it stopped working.

The natural spring on the fountain stopped flowing. People saw that, yet they went back to their own daily business. It was an expected reaction to those who live in the time of peace within a prosperous nation. To Lux, it was different. That was the signal to trigger the ambivalent emotions stirring within his mind. He approached the pool of water and stared down at the wavy-like surface for a long time. It didn't stop. The liquid gently pushed back and forth like a rhythm.

He placed his hand at the bottom of that place.

***Thump Thump***

All hair at the back of his neck stood up, Lux could have sworn a chill just froze up his spine. That felt like a pulsation. But it didn't come from his heart. It came straight from below the earth.

Something was not right.

Something was terribly wrong.

Very, very wrong.

* * *

**Part 8  
**

"Doctor! Please call the doctor!"

In the still of midnight, the nurses and patients were in a state of panic. The entire medical ward was confused and afraid. Inside one of the rooms, a window left opened and curtain moved by the wind. The lifeless body of a man spread on the bed. His eyes closed as if he had gone into a deep slumber.

On his chest, the brutal horror that deeply etched into the minds of the witnesses manifested as a sharp knife. The man was once a spy. He failed his mission and fell into a coma.

That night, he was killed.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: So, things are about to get serious. Anyway, t****hank you for reading. Take care!**


	12. Chapter 12: Inventions-Diary

**********Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.**********

* * *

**~Chapter 12~**

**Inventions_Diary**

**Part 1**

"Nii-san, are you feeling unwell?"

The concerned sister came to the hangar to see her brother. She found an exhausted boy leaning on the leg of a Drag-Ride and a cat purring in its sleep inside the shade of the building. Dark circles were under Lux's eyes, the Chore Prince didn't feel like being energetic today.

"Gible-san's bar was lively yesterday." He emitted a deep voice.

He recalled the place filled with dangerous intents and unearthly desires to tempt him, including the menacing aura from the jealous men. There was also the bunny girl and butler outfit, which only god knew what they were used for.

"And I…found something strange." He rubbed his eyes and covered the yawning with a hand.

After finished the last request around midnight, Lux spent some time to search the city for any sign similar to the one he experienced at the first district.

He couldn't fall asleep. He kept having a bad vibe clinching the back of his neck, which was why he set out to do it and didn't get an ounce of sleep. He had the little kitty to accompany him and pinpoint the sign like a radar with its senses.

The result he got was a big zero. That was one less thing to worry about.

"You are pushing yourself too hard." Airi let out a small sigh. She wasn't fond of his idea of running around in the middle of the night.

"It was worth to try." Lux got up, a basket in the girl's hand caught in his view. "You brought something for me?"

"Before that, I have some questions for Nii-san."

Airi put the thing down, she opened it and took out a map. The name read Imperial Capital of the Old Arcadia Empire.

"I was asked by Relie-san to deliver this to you. You visited her office this morning and requested this." Her soft yet stern voice made Lux gulped in nervous. "Why do you need this map?"

"I just want to look into certain things, to make sure I'm on the right direction." Airi narrowed her eyebrows in suspicious. "I'm t-telling the truth!"

She took out another map, the name read Cross Field.

"Are you hiding anything from me?"

"…..not in the slightest."

Airi let out another sigh.

"Nii-san is really bad at lying. These maps you borrowed from the Academy are not the same as the map on a visitor guide."

"I'll make sure to return it safely."

"That is not the point. Are you still tired?"

"Not really. It was just one sleepless night."

Yes. It was nothing compared to that one job when he was onboarding a sailing ship throughout a whole day to catch a whale on the sea.

Putting the maps away, Airi wiped the sweat and oil stuck on his face with a handkerchief. From inside the basket, she prepared a plate and a slice of cake on top.

"Here, Nii-san. Courtesy from the Principal."

"_Tell him I said thank you for sharing a good story and working hard for the Academy."_

"That is Relie-san for you." He smiled half-heartedly and took it.

Aside from requesting for the maps, Lux also spent a moment to share a part of his trip outside Cross Field to Relie during the morning. It all came down to the next moment when he decided to bring up the issue of being assigned as an apprentice to the princess of the New Kingdom.

"_It would certainly improve your skills and knowledge of the technology you're using."_

The woman said something like that while a sweet smile adored her lip.

"I did my best to win over the argument."

Of course, he would retort. It didn't work out much since Relie was on a different league.

"_I only did it because I really care about Lux-kun, the one I always think about as my little brother."_

Words stuck in his throat, he couldn't counter it. And a pair of watery eyes was more than enough to make him feel the pressure.

"As expected, Nii-san is weak when it comes to that mischievous person."

"I can't deny that but the way you putting it is kind of hurt!"

"Well, leaving Nii-san's introvert ability aside, there's something you need to know." The look of seriousness on Airi's face caused him to flinch.

* * *

**Part 2**

"He was…assassinated?"

Lux nearly dropped the plate, mouth hung opened in shock by the news.

"I received this news from Noct."

Airi had just explained the situation.

The cause of death was due to the heart impaled by a knife. Not much evidences were found at the crime scene. The investigators believed that the culprit infiltrated the hospital through the window and committed the act as they were alone with the victim.

"Such a thing." Lux gritted his teeth.

The fact that the man was a spy, only Lux and Airi knew. Now that he was killed, things had become complicated.

"As for the ongoing investigation at the church site…" The younger sister suddenly trailed off for a short period. "Nii-san, I think you should reconsider about getting yourself involved deeper in this matter."

"W-Why?"

"It is for your own sake. They changed the direction of the investigation. They are planning to focus on the person, who helped the spy and slayed the Abyss on that night."

A moment of silence engulfed the place.

"Airi, you don't mean…..?" Lux's slightly trembling finger pointed at his face.

"Yes, Nii-san is currently the unknown priority suspect on their list. It's fortunate that no one has discovered your movements at the scene yet so please refrain from doing anything reckless in the meantime."

Hearing that, Lux casted his gaze to the ground with a troubled expression. No matter how much he wanted to resolve this incident as quiet as possible, there were things that he could not take risk. The former prince had to take his position into account. Unless he wanted to reveal himself and invited troubles to this daily life as the one who stood out, he couldn't do anything.

"This means we reached a dead end." Lux uttered a bitter tone.

The investigation at the church site was put on hold, the guards discovered the panic room under the root of the church. However, everything they found inside had been burned out. It was impossible to retrieve valuable clues from the documents and papers that scattered on the ground as ashes.

"You know there are things which can't be helped."

Lux showed no reaction to those words. He sat there, looking out the vast land of the Kingdom as she stared at his small back. Airi smiled gently as she approached him.

"Because it can't be helped, I went on my way and asked a little favor. Nii-san owes me this time." She placed a small box next to Lux.

As she opened the cover, a black notebook was found inside.

"Airi, this is?"

"The most crucial evidence that proves the man himself was undercovering as a normal citizen of Cross Field." The girl said in confidence. "Nii-san knows the situation, I will leave the details inside that note to your decision. If it is something related to the safety of the country, you know what to do."

Lux read the content. Nearly half of it was unreadable due to being exposed to the heat during the fire. It appeared to be a diary. The remaining words written on these pages should give them hints to reveal what had transpired in the darkest corner of the Kingdom.

"Sharis-senpai and I personally came to the church site and retrieved this item. I asked her to make this a secret. For now, the existence of this notebook is known to only her, Nii-san and me."

Lux was surprised. He wouldn't have thought that Airi already went on a step ahead.

"With this, it will be my 114th victory." The girl put on a cool smile.

"Thank you, Airi." Lux patted on her head, causing her cheek to redden. "I'm utterly defeated by you again."

Although hesitating, the little sister managed to force herself to lean back, taking a small amount of distance away from his reach.

"I-In any case, since Nii-san has the tendency to get into troubles, please don't make yourself stand out unnecessary."

"I won't."

The big brother was truly proud of his little sister.

"If there's anything else you need me to help with, please let me know."

"You're not going to stay and read this?"

"I've done my part. This matter belongs to Nii-san now. Unless you are contemplating something, I prefer not to cause unwanted misunderstanding to other students, especially the Triad."

"Eh? There's no way that would happen. They know we're sibling."

"Nii-san shouldn't treat the noble ladies of this academy too lightly."

Lux blinked in confusion.

Airi decided to take her leave, she didn't want to hinder his work. It couldn't be helped even if she worried about him. Because she understood Lux's characteristic. Once he had decided on something, he will find a way to carry it out to the very end. She won't be able to stop him. A tiny smile rose on her lip as she glanced over her shoulder, Lux was already lost himself in each page of the note.

That clumsy big brother of her had always been stubborn like that.

* * *

**Entry #10**

[The pages flipped, the owner's name of the diary was never mentioned.]

It's been some days since the fall of the tyranny Empire.

Good riddance, I give my prop to those who participated in the coup d'état.

…

…

**Entry #31**

Black Hero.

Even in my country, that name was mentioned everywhere I go.

They say it was the title of a Drag-Knight who destroyed the Empire alone in a single night as he faced against an army of 1200 Machine Dragons.

I don't understand why they would put that figure on a pedestal and praise him like that.

To me, what I think about him, all I can say is one thing.

What a monster.

….

….

**Entry #45**

Today was the worst.

I am a high-class officer cadet serving my country, I'm leading a good life with my family. My daughter is about to transfer to a prestigious Academy at the newly rebuilt Kingdom to study and become a Drag-Knight for the sake of our country.

Yet, all that shining future ahead of her was put out like light on a candle because I was requested to move together with the rest of my family to a deserted town near the Ruin.

A mission to survey the land, they said.

If I complete the task, a good position inside the army will be offered to my child.

Curse them! As if we care about that, they're literally trying to put my whole family in danger!

An Abyss can appear from the Ruin at any moment.

Fine, if this is what they want, I'll be ready.

I'll do everything in my power to protect my home from any danger.

…..

…..

**Entry #49**

It was a scheme.

Now I understand why, all of this was a scheme to drive us out by someone among the officer cadets. Thanks to the help of my acquaintances, I was able to discover the truth.

I must report back to the higher ups. Surely my calling for help will reach the **King of Vices**.

The perpetrator shall be punished for this.

…

…

**Entry #58**

Finally, I've been waiting too long for this.

They finally contacted me.

They said they had gathered enough information and evidences to help me lift off this burden. My returning is decided, I am required to be there to provide the words for them to conclude this unfair treatment.

In two more days, I will pack my things and head to the capital alone to settle this matter once and for all.

…

…

[Missing pages.]

* * *

**Part 3**

"Uhm, Lisha-sama. Is it really necessary for me to be a guinea pig?"

Having finished his works at the hangar, Lux quickly rushed to the atelier. The cat had gone to somewhere else to play by itself.

"It is." The princess replied in a blunt way. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Lux sweat dropped at the question. She made it sounded like this was a normal thing to do.

"Should I change into Dress Gear for this?"

"There is no need. You will proceed this using just body harness equipment."

Lux connected the straps around his waist and leg. He was given the tool to perform a little experiment. He thought they would do something related more to the Machine Dragon technology instead of wearing a protective gear.

"Are you ready, Lux?"

"Yes."

At his nodding, Lisha unsheathed the Sword Device in her hand. Two iron wires shot out from a spool on his lower back, hooked on the ceiling.

His whole body slowly left the ground, hanging midair.

"L-Lisha-sama?" Surprise filled his voice. He struggled to gain balance.

"To understand how the Machine Dragons work is to understand the physical nature of its characteristic. One of the basic features you should learn is the tremendous mobility of the armor. I made this equipment to demonstrate my idea of a Drag-Ride movement and the required efficiency to perform well on one."

Unlike human, Drag-Ride could move in a 3D environment.

"Tell me, Lux. How did it feel when you first control a Drag-Ride? It was incredible to know that you can fly, correct?" Her arms folded below the modest chest with proud.

Lux replied yes while he was staring at the wall upside down. He just flipped backward.

"I got these wires and the hook as a spare from nonfunctioning Machine Dragons. Try to make your body stand upright, show me the adaptation of a natural high aptitude user."

"Eh? You know about me having a high suitability for Drag-Ride?"

"I did some research about you. I'll have you know that I am very resourceful." Of course, she was the crowned princess of a country. Only one word and she would have the help of a hundred informants.

Lux wiggled and his body rolled up. He tried his best to stand up right in the air.

"Oh! You did it quite easily."

"I start to feel like getting used to it, floating in the air without the armor and the thruster to fly really give you a different feeling."

After finishing those words, his world turned upside down again.

Usually, the drive force of a Drag-Ride came from the Force Core. Since the armor covered the flesh body, the movement didn't always perform well if the user did not get used to it.

"Stamina. Another basic features that requires a user to be able to put on the steel armor and move along with it. Many Drag-Knights experience the same thing. There will be a moment when they are exhausted due to the weight of the armor. There is also the issue with gravity."

A Drag-Ride couldn't be handled by any normal means. Which was why daily training was needed, otherwise the armor would cause great burden to the user.

"Next is reflex."

Suddenly, Lisha swung the red sword on her waist. As if seeing it coming, Lux caught the blade that struck vertically at his head bared hand the moment he managed to gain back his balanced position.

"That's dangerous, Lisha-sama! You're holding a weapon!"

"…I…thought you would dodge. I intent to stop the blade before it hit." She was shocked herself, to see his reflex in action. "Your reflex is remarkable."

Lux let go the sword and the blond-haired girl returned it to the scabbard.

"Lastly, spatial recognition abilities."

….this person is amazing!

She acted like nothing serious happened.

"While wearing an armor that covered most of the body, our vision will be limited to some extent. Don't forget the surrounding always give us countless information to process. An efficient Drag-Knight will need to concentrate and handle the flow of things around them, landscape, wind blow, weather conditions, obstacles, allies, the Abyss. Some Drag-Knights, even the veterans often stay ignorant to these outside factors. They depend too much on the automatic protection barrier of the Machine Dragon and tend to be easily distracted when it drops. That's when they are in a big hurdle."

Lisha continued.

"Moreover, it's crucial to possess a strong mental strength." She went around him. "Since we're piloting a Drag-Ride, it's advisable not to waver in panic. I think you heard about it, there have been cases of the Machine Dragons shutdown in the middle of the flight, going rampage or the pilot is afraid of height and they can't control it even if they possess high aptitude ever since birth."

The iron wires retracted, pulling Lux further up. The former prince turned upside down to see Lisha's childlike smile up close.

"And that is the general information about the basic factors that evaluate us as high aptitude users. Easy to understand than the boring lectures in classes, won't you agree?"

He didn't attend school, he wouldn't know.

"Lisha-sama, I'm grateful for your lecture." Lux glance away, slightly blushed. "Either way, you're too close."

Lisha did not pay attention until he mentioned it. She startled and began to fluster.

"F-Fool! What kind of improper thought are you having!?" Her hand raised up, aiming at his head.

"Ahhh! Wait! I'm still hanging-"

***Snap***

The hooks detached. Lux fell.

With a big thud, the two found themselves on the ground.

As if it was an act of god, the slim figure of the girl was on top him. Her face pressed on his exposed stomach. Even though that boy had a small built body, she could clearly feel the firmness of his abs. His muscles were quite decently built due to the nature of his work.

"Oh…this is…" She muttered.

Upon realizing the position they were in, the warm on her cheeks heated up. Lisha quickly backed away, her gown dragged on the ground.

"Lisha-sama, are you alright!?" Lux let out a groan and sat up. "Just then, I felt something soft. What was that?"

By instinct, she turned away, hugging her stomach.

"I smelled a nice scent, too."

Lux wiped his nose, completely clueless. But she gasped. Her whole expression became a tomato.

"You pervert!"

"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

* * *

**Part 4**

"I'm so sorry."

Lux was kneeling on the ground. Hands on her hip, Lisha gave that boy a stare down. He didn't dare to meet her eyes.

"Hmph! It's good that you apologize."

"But it's unexpected, I have no idea Lisha-sama could smell so good." He smiled kindly like an idiot. "….ah….."

Mistake had been made. No good, yesterday events at the bar were affecting his thought. Lisha blushed so hard at the compliment smoke was leaking out her ears.

"Repent, you pervert prince!" She drew out the red sword and held it before his neck. "I'm going to make you work exactly like a horse today. Get ready!"

"Eehhhhhhhhh!? I'm sorry!"

Lux could have sworn he saw fire burned within those crimson eyes.

* * *

**Part 5**

They heard a big noise.

Animals suddenly ran away from the place, terrified of something.

They didn't know.

Some approached the fountain, which no longer let out the natural spring.

A few would let out a gasp in shock.

At the bottom of the pool, many cracks stretched throughout the surface like branches on a tree.

The water leftover gradually drained, slipping into the abnormal gap.

* * *

**Part 6**

The apprentice's works at the atelier came to an end.

"Lisha-sama, what is this?"

As Lux put back the equipment, an object caught his interest.

"That's a component used to create portable light on the shoulder parts of a Drag-Ride."

"Eh? You even have this thing?"

"I have many spare components to support my creativity." Lisha waved the tool in her hand. "Just imagine the possibility, Lux. If I can make the thing work independently without the power supplied from the Force Core, humanity may have the perfect light source to replace the torches and lamps."

"That's amazing!"

"Fufufu~! You can praise me more if you want." She was happy to hear that.

"But it's a shame, isn't it? Everything about Drag-Ride is heavily depended on the energy core."

"Not really." Lisha titled her head to the side, thinking. "Excuse me for a moment."

She went to one of the rooms at the back of the building and came back with a box.

"The Force Core!?"

Lux was shocked to see the thing inside the container. It was a bright sphere that let out an unlimited power, the sole power supply of the Machine Dragons.

"Yup, it's a spare in my possession." A device placed next to the sphere with a single cable attached to the body, connecting it and the sphere. "Take a good look."

Putting the box on the table, Lisha performed a trick. The device flashed, it shot out a straight column of light. The back of the room lit up brightly. Lux watched in shock upon witnessing the result.

"Behold, one of my proudest creations! The enlightenment that expands the diversity of knowledge! No one in the world has ever discovered this but me! It is the very first original made from the same material Mithril Dite, the function is based on the principle of the armor preserving the power. It can absorb the energy emitting from the Force Core and store it.""

"Lisha-sama, this is…..!"

"Don't get too excited just yet."

There was more. Lisha removed the cable, disconnecting the power bridge from the Force Core. The device should have shut down. Yet, it didn't. It continued to shine for a long time.

"I call it the charger!"

"Incredible!"

"Isn't that right~." A triumphant smile formed on Lisha's lip as Lux admired her invention. "You know, if you want a handshake from me for letting you see this greatest moment of mankind. I wouldn't mind."

While she mumbled something like that, an idea popped into Lux head. He didn't pay attention.

"Lisha-sama, if I may…."

"Yes! Y-You may have the pleasure."

A hand extended to him. Lux took it, raised to his face. She blushed, thinking he would prefer to kiss it.

"Can I ask you to let me borrow this device?"

"….eh?"

That cut off her mood.

"I need it for an odd job."

The clumsy silver boy continued to express his request regardless.

* * *

**Entry #66**

Unbelievable.

That is all I can say.

There's nothing else I can use to describe this frustration. I want to vent my anger on everyone in that room so bad I feel like my blood vein will burst.

This whole thing of inviting back to the capital was a set up.

They framed me for being responsible to something I don't even know of. All of them, the officer cadets I used to work with back in those years.

They were the perpetrators! My circumstance was caused by them!

Why!? Why did it have to turn out like this!? My family and I have done nothing wrong to them!

[The entry stopped in the middle.]

…..

…..

**Entry #67**

Three months have gone by while I was imprisoned.

The guards let me out today. That's why I am able to sit back to my old desk, holding this pen to write these lines.

It seems the King of Vices heard about my predicament and decided to investigate this personally.

Your Grace, I am truly grateful for your kindness! Your rightful just has saved me and my family!

From today onward, I vow to serve under you until this life wither away.

…..

…..

**Entry #71**

Justice is served.

You reaped what you sow.

The men who were responsible all laid on the ground. The execution was carried out by the order from Lady **Rosa**.

I was not the only one who caught in their mischief. There were others in the past.

With this, everything is finally over.

I can return to my family, back to my lovely wife and daughter.

…..

…..

**Entry #73**

[No words were written aside from a small crumpled paper kept in between the pages. It was the letter sent to the owner of the diary by his wife.]

[The date on the letter was one months prior to the release of the man. It appeared that the family did not catch wind of his imprisonment at the capital.]

[The context referred to the sign of strange movements from the Ruin. The guard corps were on high alert and ready to eliminate the threat. The wife expressed her worry to her husband, who had not returned home for a long time.]

[There were only three emotional words on the last line of the letter.]

Please come home.

* * *

**Part 7**

The cool breeze rushed the smooth skin on her absentminded expression. The bright pink color of her hair stood out as she stood alone in that place.

Philuffy Aingram watched the evening sun go down.

When a gust of wind washed over her well-endowed figure, that girl would close her eyes to let it pass before staring at the sky again.

She heard it again, that familiar sound.

The echoing footsteps drew closer.

Slowly turning around, Philuffy smiled softly at the silhouette of a childhood friend dyed by the glowing sunset. To that person, her expression probably didn't change much. The corner of her lip only moved a little, it would be difficult to tell the difference.

The silver hair and a small cat lying on top the head.

The pair of Sword Devices hanging on the waist.

The face of a boy who went through many things was in front of her.

"What are you doing in front of the main gate?"

"Lu-chan, good evening." As she looked at him, her chest swelled with affection. "I'm listening, to the sound."

"The sound? Ah, the rustling sounds of leaves and trees blowing in the wind." He smiled. "It really makes you feel the calm, isn't it?"

"Not that, a different sound." Philuffy stared at the sky again. "An instrument."

"..…"

"Lu-chan, troubled?"

She noticed the change of emotion on his face. That boy quickly denied it.

"Anyway, I'm going to my next job now." Lux moved ahead. "Let's have a long talk sometime when we're both free, Philuffy-san."

The pair of golden eyes widened, she stood frozen like a bucket of ice poured on her head. Just now, he only called her by name.

"..…"

Unknowingly, her feet moved, walking behind Lux.

"Eh? Is something wrong, Philuffy-san?"

He did that again. It was not in his nature to do this on purpose. Still, she would feel distant and angry. She casted her line of sight to the ground. They remained unchanged in the display of emotion. Her hand tugged on his sleeves, pulling back before he went further.

Because he forgot about it, she was not going to let him off so easily.

"It's Phi-chan, isn't it?"

"Eh?"

She turned her head away, ignoring his confusion. Philuffy wasn't the talkative type, and she was not good at expressing her emotions. She always went at her own pace with her character. Addressing each other by nickname, their relationship was established that way many years ago.

It was not a privilege. It was the proof of a close connection.

"Philuffy-san, wouldn't it be better for us to take into consideration that our age and positions have changed since then?"

"It's Phi-chan."

She would never change her mind.

"Okay, Phi-chan." Lux's face was a bit red, embarrassed. "I should go."

"It's good to see you, Lu-chan." The boy returned a smile and went off.

Philuffy stared at that back for a while until he was gone.

* * *

**Part 8**

"Lux-kun, are you sure you don't want to leave this for tomorrow?"

At the sudden question, Lux scratched the back of his head in awkward.

"Well, I thought about it. The longer this issue remains the more it becomes inconvenience for everyone. I believe it would be better to make haste and find the cause of this." Said the boy as he wrapped the rope around a case and sent it down the well. "Once this is solved, you won't have to waste time going to a different place to get water."

"I get what you mean, but do you really have to do this in the middle of the night?"

"It's my duty." He chuckled. "And I also got permission from the local guards."

"That is not the issue I'm talking about."

"In the meantime, please look after my cat for me."

Inside the house, the said feline friend was purring in happiness as its chin was playfully rubbed by the children.

"That won't be a problem, my kids will take good care of it. Does it have a name?"

Lux flinched.

"Eh? Name?"

"Yes, name."

Ah! He totally forgot about it.

"It doesn't have a name? Lux-kun." The man sighed. "This is what they call being irresponsible with your animal friend, you know. Just feeding and playing with it alone doesn't mean it would be enough, you have to give it a proper name."

He didn't have any pet before, he would not really pay much attention to this fact.

"I guess I'm still inexperienced."

"Do you need some light?" The man handed Lux the torch. He declined.

"I have one for my own. I'll be okay, mister."

After tying the rope around him and the other end to a big stone, Lux descended into the well. He brought along the sword devices. The entrance closed off halfway as the man covered it. Lux began taking out the necessary tools inside the case. His eyes could get used to the dark, things won't be much difficult.

Soon, the dark place lightened up by a bright light. Lisha's invention, the charger. Lux attached it to his belt and wrapped the portable light to his forehead with a bandana. They say improvising was the necessary skill for survival. With this, the investigation will run smoothly.

For now, his one and only objective was to reach the other side of the channel.

"Alright, I'm prepared."

* * *

**Entry #78**

I feel like I am trapped inside the worst nightmare of my life. I couldn't believe what I just heard from my personal attendant.

An Abyss attacked the town where my family lives.

I…..

[The entry was left unfinished.]

…

…

**Entry #82**

When I managed to reach home, I saw the sight of a devastated ruin.

The guard corps managed to subdue the rampage of the Abyss. But it occurred at a great consequence.

No one survived.

My home was destroyed.

My wife was killed by the attack of those fiends.

My daughter was nowhere to be found.

No matter how much I cried, I will never get back what was taken from me.

I have lost everything.

[Traces of tears lingered on the page.]

….

….

**Entry #83**

I haven't touched this diary for a long time. As I'm writing these empty words inside my old room, I feel like a changed man.

It is such a lonely life without my family.

Today, the higher-ups from the capital sent a letter to me. What could they possibly want from a broken man? Regardless, it is something important as they mentioned in the letter. I wouldn't expect myself to provide much help.

I should stop here, get ready to pack up things once again.

….

….

**Entry #95**

Seeing how broken I appeared in front of them, they showed various reactions. I thought I saw one of them just smiled mockingly at my existence.

Well, I couldn't care less.

They gave me a special task along with some documents to help change my identity.

I guess at this point, my position is more or less similar to a puppet. I have nothing more to lose aside from this life.

So I agree. They can do anything they want.

…

…

**Entry #110**

The Black Marketer.

They let me meet up with the person of such title. Shady is the word I can use to describe their appearance. Something about a trade is going on.

In the meantime, they want me to cooperate with the remnants of the Old Empire.

Persistent bastards. Why won't they just shut up and live on like a normal person. What's there left of a fallen kingdom to be revived?

Don't they understand the non-existent value of their old system?

In any case, I should be careful.

…

…

**Entry #122**

There's no mistaking it!

The silver hair color of that person belongs to the bloodline of that detestable imperial family. They showed a man named Velvet and I a demonstration, some kind of a controlling technique.

I swear I saw how that abomination moved along with the terrifying melody of the instrument.

It can be control by human!? I must still be sleeping, I need to slap my face really hard to wake up!

What sort of nightmare is this!?

The thing that took my family away from me is listening to the voice of a human! I have reported this. But they didn't seem to have any problem with it.

Madness!

This is madness!

I'm scared! I refuse to believe this!

….

….

**Entry #134**

The operation has begun.

I became a spy, tomorrow we will cross the border into the New Kingdom of Atismata.

I'm too nervous to stay next to that person, I probably can't even hold my breath if I stay in the same room with them. They have the tools to control those monsters. I doubt I would get out alive if I disobey their commands.

Despite that flute worth a fortune, Velvet was willing to buy one.

I asked him, why risking our life trying to control the enemy of humanity?

His respond was beyond my imagination. All of this was for the sake of the re-establishment of the Old Empire, he said. The mad man just laughed it off.

I can't understand him.

* * *

**Part 9**

The devices had been a great help so far. It became easier to move around once the layout of the passage was clearly seen. Unlike last time, the wet marks were found at a much deeper location. However, he saw no trace of water far ahead.

….the water level decreased again?"

Lux moved along the narrowed cave. Gradually, the small path widened in width. If he remembered correctly, this spot was filled with water. To follow the passage, he would have to swim. Now, the place was completely drained. Big tree roots stuck out on the ceiling, that would mean he was deep beneath the earth. Moving further in, Lux found signs of brick walls and hand-made stone.

Judging by the geographical characteristic, Cross Field and the Kingdom Capital were built on top the Old Arcadia Empire, which was the largest country in the world by the time. He wouldn't be surprise if the old crest of a black dragon existed down here.

….strange, I don't feel any vibration this whole time.

It had been an hour since he came down here. He kept moving in that darkness with the only light source on his head. The path split, one leading up and the other directed below. The wet trail became more prominent with small drops dripping as it headed down.

It was no longer a leisure walk. It would be a drop.

The air was stifling. Oxygen barely circulated at this place. Lux Arcadia hesitated to continue the investigation. He didn't know where the path will lead him to.

…..I'm not heading straight to that place they call the bottomless Abyss, am I?

That was a bad pun. Being alone in the unlikely place started to make him have silly thought.

Hopefully, this was not a mistake. It had turned into an urgent matter when people found cracks around the fountain.

The Chore Prince sighed. If Airi knew what he was doing right now, she would call him a fool.

"I wonder what the others are doing?" Lux talked to himself as he adjusted the equipment on his belt. "Right, they are probably enjoying a good sleep on the bed."

* * *

**Part 10**

"Ja Jan~! While we're at it, shall we have fun with girls talk!?"

"Yes. It's a very interesting idea."

"I'm in!"

"How can everyone be so energetic in the middle of the night?"

Grumpy, Airi sat on the bunk bed, hugging the pillow. The remaining members of the Triad, the vigilante corps of the Knight Squadron, gathered inside her and Noct's room for a sleepover in their nightclothes.

"For starter" Tillfur playfully waved a finger. "What is your first impression of Lux-chi?"

"W-Why does my Nii-san becomes the topic!?"

"Now, now. There's no need to get all worked up so soon, Airi-chan." Sharis grinned. "Everyone has their fair shares."

Airi's cheeks puffed out. Her grip on the pillow tightened.

She was not going to like the direction of this girl talk.

…

…

"Saying something embarrassing like that, that man. It's not like I really care about it."

Lisha pouted, talking to no one. She was busy working on the Drag-Ride at the back of her personal workshop.

"I thought he would kiss my hand, but then he just had to kill off the mood." Her cheek reddened as she recalled the event today with that boy. "In the first place, he is just a chore prince and my apprentice. At least he showed some appreciation when I allowed him to borrow my inventions."

Still…

"…his abs…..is surprisingly well built…..wait! What am I thinking!?"

Lisha-sama was at that age, after all.

…..

…..

"It seems there will be rain tonight."

Closing a book in her hand, Krulcifer looked at the dark clouds approaching. Reading was a little entertainment she would gladly have before going to bed.

….

….

"...Zzzz…"

Philuffy was already asleep. Good girl.

* * *

**Part 11**

Lux took a deep breath. In case there was water down this path, he could be ready for a dive.

…..please don't let this be a long drop.

He was not sure if he was able to get back to the surface. For the sake of knowing the cause of the water resource being drained away, he would investigate this to the end.

Lux took a step forward.

In the next second, he was freefalling. Fortunately, the drop didn't last long. The bottom of his shoes hit a slope, he glid along the path. It began to get narrowed again. The earth was soft, yet slippery like mud. There was nothing in the way for him to grab on, the pace eventually increased faster.

Lux saw a dead end ahead. It was a pure white wall. Quickly, he rammed the white sword scabbard into the earth, creating an emergency brake. The momentum was too great for the speed to barely slow down.

Lux changed his tactic as he thrust the sword forward. That wall easily shattered like glass. The weirdest part Lux noticed as he struck it, the sound echoed from the impact was similar to an egg being cracked.

On the other side of that white wall was a hole, he fell through it.

Before Lux leaked out a scream, his back hit the body water below. Everything in front went dark as the light source wrapped by the bandana on his head slipped off. There wasn't any shallow spot for him to step on, Lux hurriedly swum back to the surface. The light was connected to the charger on his belt with a string, it was not much difficult to find it.

His bandana was gone, however.

Lux had no other choice but to wave the light source around to shine the place.

….over there!

He saw the high ground not very far from his location, Lux swum toward it and took a break. That was a thrilling trip, he had never experienced something wild as such. The boy scanned around with the light, the vastness of the location made him realize that he ended up in a big place.

…..this is…..the other side of the underground channel.

Wasn't this place supposed to be flooded with underground water? If so, where did most of the quantity of the water disappear to?

The sound of waterfall entered his hearing.

Lux shone the light over the wall. There were signs of passages at various places. Gentle streams of water were leaking out from these opening which piled up by earth and solid rocks. All that left was the lone waterfall, the clear current, which pouring nonstop to the lake below. To think such landscape existed below Cross Field.

Nature was quite a wonder. Lux felt like that as he was mesmerized just by looking at the scenery.

"?"

Around the rocks, which leading into the void above the stream of water, had strange scratches. They were almost like the marks of a furious animal's claws.

His hand slowly moved the light, shone toward the hole he just went through as he traced backward.

The train of thought inside his mind instantly came to a stop. He didn't break a wall. The image of that cocoon inside the church reappeared in his memory. The shape and the way it hanged on the wall was exactly like what he was seeing.

He was staring at an empty vessel.

A hatched egg.

* * *

**Entry #378**

I spent a full year in this place, gathering every little info that might prove useful to our advantage and Velvet's plan.

No matter how this turns out, I can hardly place my trust on that man and the Black Marketer. Soon, there will be another meeting. I must wait until nightfall to go see them.

The operation is about to advance to the next stage.

Being a spy is the job for the patience, I don't know how much longer this would take. I have come this far with the operation, there is no point in backing out now.

I never want the King of Vice to be disappointed in my own capacity to tolerate delay.

Even so, somehow, I cannot express enough word to describe this bad feeling, which I am unable to shake off or neither I can ignore it.

What will happen from now on, I wonder.

…..

…..

**Entry #381**

Fear is overwhelming me!

My existence will be filled with nothing but terror every day with those things!

I cannot believe the idea those humans proposed. They want to plant Abyss eggs inside Cross Field. What insanity!

What is shocking me the most are the eggs! I'm still asking myself if my hearing is wrong or is it just my imagination. The Abyss is a mechanical existence, reproduction ability is deemed to be impossible in the books. Yet, there exists the container of these devils!

They plan to use the enemy of mankind to start a bloodshed! Worst of all, they want the person to do it is me! Those abominations, the cause of a big void in my life, how can such a thing happen to me!?

I asked Velvet to give me the flute to help me control the Abyss in the case they hatch. Yet he refused!

The bastard! He didn't want to spend money on another instrument! He mocked me and told me off to do things on my own!

As if the worst thing happened was not enough, the Black Marketer approached me. My only task is to watch the egg until the day they hatch, until the day the final stage of the operation begins.

After that, I can either escape from the Abyss due to my fear or join in the bloodshed. That person said the choice is on me.

But if I didn't do this properly, they would give me a death penalty!

Curse them for using me like a spawn!

…

….

**Entry #401**

[The last entry.]

I finished.

The Abyss eggs had been planted. Each I time did, my hands would turn moist and cold. The fear won't stop making me cowering. I feel like I've been losing a few years of my lifespan.

I followed the advice of the Black Marketer to plant an egg on top my base. The rest was deep in the old chamber beneath Fort City. It connects to the underground channel.

It was difficult, but I managed to do it by using my Drag-Ride.

When those fiends hatch, the water environment will invoke them due to the opposite nature of their bodies. The water resource will be slowly drained until there is nothing left.

That is an effective strategy to cause a temporary distraction before the final stage begins.

That person said something like that.

As expected, only a monster can understand the nature of another monster. I'm too afraid to face that person who called themselves the Black Marketer again. I should stay away from them.

And Velvet, curse you! You're in no caliber to dare calling me a loser!

I want to say these words straight to his face so badly.

This is it.

A monster is hanging on top my head everyday without the tool to control them. I don't think I can sleep well at night anymore.

I've been sold out. They couldn't afford to buy another flute to let me save myself from these abominations.

These lines I wrote could have been the last.

I have to find something to distract my heavy thoughts. Perhaps getting drunk at the bar wouldn't be such a bad way to erase these moments of miserable deeds from my whole world.

For some reason, realizing this fact makes me feel absurdly stupid.

After losing my family, this broken man has stop caring about himself. All that left is the sole devotion to my King. But would all that faith even matter if I end up in this pathetic stage? Being used as a dispensable spawn, being abandoned after my task is completed.

I don't know what to do anymore.

I just want to survive now.

Being a part of this operation is no longer a thing that I follow. I want to empty one more bottle of whisky so I can sleep peacefully even when that egg is hanging on top the church.

My dear wife and daughter.

I miss you all so, so much.

* * *

**Part 12**

This was the place mentioned in the diary, the remaining eggs were planted here.

Just now, he saw one. It already hatched. The vibration from before was due to it. There should be more than a single Abyss in this dark place, though he wasn't sure how many.

Suddenly, the stream of water stopped flowing. Something moved within that void.

It had light. It had no leg. Its body was like jelly, arms like spires stretched left and right. Two purple spheres like eyeballs were floating inside the body close to the top of the head. The air became insanely hot, temperature increased. Steam emitted from the bright red body. The water underneath vaporized, and the rock melted.

It was like a moving pool of lava.

It was the cause of the current state of the water resource.

It was an Abyss, a **Slime **type.

A large size that can fit in half of this whole vast area. And there wasn't just one. Behind it was multiple Gargoyles crawling on the ceiling, wings folded and not yet spread.

Sweat drenched Lux's shirt as he stood there in shock, he was staring at a group of Abyss. The amount of these mechanical beasts presented could only be deal with by a skilled Drag-Ride unit. One person alone could not handle this much. There were too many risks to battle inside an underground void.

Unless a **Divine Drag-Ride** was in their possession, they might stand a good chance to survive.

However, this situation could have been the true horror. A nest of monsters was right underneath Cross Field. This was bad.

His hand slowly reached to the black sword. Though, he had a second thought and drew the white one.

A Gargoyle caught his movement, it roared and charged. The monster with the bloody red eyes threatened to tear him apart with those vicious claws. Lux merely rolled to the side in the nick of time. The slash printed a mark to the ground behind him. Gargoyle was a monster with intelligence and speed. Seeing him dodged out the way, it swung the other arm. Lux continued to move out the way of the coming smash. the force from the strong impact punched him in the back.

If those hands got a good grip on him, he would likely meet death in the face. It wasn't just that, the heat from the Slime was affecting his surroundings.

Too hot! He needed to get out of there!

The Gargoyle moved for another attack. Before those claws reached him, light engulfed the boy. A metal arm swung the great sword. The flashing strike sent the head of the Abyss flying toward the Slime. It dissolved upon the contact. The other Gargoyles had been watching, they began to come down like rain.

Lux's Wyvern, now fully manifested and covered him, quickly rushed past the herd, evading every swing and light bullet coming his way. He flew into the void. The surface began to rise in level, fragments of eggs could be seen along the way. This was where they hatched.

"GGrraaaahhhhhhh!" The uneasy noise repeatedly echoed from behind. Those things were right on his tail.

Soon, he met a cave. Light from torches shone, revealing a path on the side of the wall.

True to the words of the spy, the underground channel connected to some sort of an old chamber. The whole thing stretched across the earth beneath Cross Field. He saw an entry, the man-made wooden door that appeared on the wall. The old crest of a black dragon can be seen on top.

Immediately, the thruster blew the air with maximum output. The Wyvern aimed straight to that place.

***Iiiiiiiiiiiiii***

At that time, the harsh sound of a flute from elsewhere disturbed Lux's sense. An Abyss dropped down from the dark ceiling above, it hid itself and waited for him.

The Gargoyle's wing began to shine. Lux didn't see this coming. Through sheer reflex, he acted.

The wire-tail behind his Wyvern shot out, piecing the rock. Lux used that moment to slightly alter his trajectory. The first bullet that came out grazed the armor on the leg. With the sword ready, he aimed for its head. The first hit became a fatal blow, the head of the Gargoyle was brutally spilt apart.

He managed to dodge the ambush. Though, that was one less thing to worry about.

….I'm going too fast!

The Wyvern's speed did not slow down and crashed into the solid wall. The thick armor, however, reduced the impact. Lux was glad to send this Drag-Ride to the mechanic-san to have it fixed before this.

….back then, that resonance….

Someone was down here with him. They used the flute to control these Abyss. They knew he was coming.

Lux cancelled the armor and landed on the path that stuck out from the thick rock. He made up his mind. He needed to find his way back to the surface and report this to the guards. He needed to warn them about an imminent threat that existed underneath Cross Field.

At this rate, the entire city could be in danger.

Lux ran to the entry once the other Abyss caught up. As he opened and shut it off with a bam, an unseen shadow rose over his form from behind. Sensing the danger, he spun around, a hand went to the white sword.

He was a second too late.

A large arm shoved Lux against the wall, violent enough to cause small cracks on the surface. The collision knocked him out cold. The large hand of a Drag-Ride that pinned on his chest released and dispelled. Lux motionlessly fell to the ground.

"What a surprise, I don't expect this place to be found so quickly. The next stage of the operation is not even on schedule yet."

A derisive tone broke the chilling atmosphere. The person who cloaked themselves in black robe crouched down next to the unconscious form of the former prince.

"Huh. It just has to be you of all people, coming here without an invitation."

Inside the darkness of the hood that covering their face, a pair of heterochronic eyes glowed.

"Are you listening, Ruined Prince?" She pinched his cheek to get a reaction, but he didn't seem to wake up any time soon.

An amused smile rose on that girl's lip.

/

* * *

**Author's Note: So, in case you didn't notice, Lisha is an engineer and inventor in this universe. The body harness equipment was based on one of the hit animes.  
**

**Anyway, we're in the climax now. Thank you for reading and take care!**


	13. Chapter 13: Quiet-Awakening

************Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.************

* * *

**~Chapter 13~**

**Quiet_Awakening**

**Part 1**

_**Kskskkskskskssskskrrr!**_

When Lux opened his eyes, he noticed something strange. Everything was like a blurry picture. The environment became twisted with wavy-liked movements.

Just as he was wondering what kind of place he was in, it shifted.

He saw a castle burned in flame.

He saw a pitch-black sky.

He saw thousands of dragons torn away the darkness with sparks fluttered across heaven.

"_So you survived, as expected of my dear little brother."_

A voice stunned him.

No longer stared at the sky as if being absorbed by it, he turned to the source of that familiar voice.

"_Fugil nii-san, what is the meaning of this!?"_

There was another voice, it came from someone much younger. An enraged young boy, who had the same silver hair as him. He dragged his wounded body through the big crack on the wall.

"_Why!? Why did you kill everyone!?" _He roared and collapsed. The red substance leaked from his mouth as he vomited.

Corpses and body parts scattered on the cold floor. The red carpet that stretched toward the throne of the king carried a deeper shade of red while blood spilled from the lifeless members of the royal family.

Lux realized he was standing inside the throne room of the Old Arcadia Empire. What he witnessed was a fragment of the revolution five years ago.

"_You're at your limit for using that Drag-Ride, I see."_

Fugil Arcadia, the first prince was laughing while smeared with blood.

"_That's very good, a diligent child like you should be a perfect example for these gutless people to look up to." _He kicked the head of the motionless emperor_. "Especially this worthless old man."_

_**Kskskskskskskkskskrkrrrrr!**_

Fugil grabbed the sword that already pierced the body of the emperor, he pointed the steel sharp blade at the pale neck.

"_Stop! Stop doing that!"_

The young Lux desperately screamed. His voice became blurred as a brutal sound echoed in the hot wind. The man laughed louder. His smile was pure, like that of an innocent child.

"_Now the war is over."_

He rolled the leg and swung. Lux's heart squeezed in pain when the head of his father bounded on the floor like a ball.

"_Thanks to you, I was saved of lots of troubles. I never thought that you would be going so far. This easily advanced farther than what I planned. If you were done in without being able to properly defeat the army, I would have had no choice but to call the Abyss using the flute."_

Taking out a golden flute from his breast pocket, Fugil slowly walked toward the young boy who couldn't find the strength to stand up.

Lux frowned.

Again, he listened to those words from his half-brother.

"_-you have wonderfully destroyed this country. You're splendid! I praise your bottomless resolve and pride, and your talent-"_

What he said might have become a curse that chained his soul. It reeked of poison and lies.

"_Shall I tell you the reason why you weren't able to achieve your ideal?"_

Fugil grabbed the young Lux's hair, turning his face up. The pair of eyes filled with madness reflected on his pupil.

"_You know nothing of the world. You are not in the caliber of kings. The weakest."_

The former young prince gritted his teeth, a dangerous red glint formed in his eyes when the man lifted the twelve years old boy up by holding his neck.

"_You're weak. And you will always be weak."_

"_AAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

Those hands that stained with blood continued to grip harder.

"FUGIL NII-SANNNNNN!" He lost all composure.

Even if he was in a dream world, everything that happened could never appease his overflowing anger. The black sword device slid from its scabbard, Lux charged forward. He swung the sword while quickly robbed Fugil of his balance. The man, who was a part of the fragment of his memories, fell without resisting.

Lux thrust the tip of the sword on his throat. He didn't care why this feel so real. If any regret from that time still lingered inside, he would let it all out.

Right now, right at this moment!

…I can do this! I'm really going to do it!

He couldn't.

The sword in his grip was shaking.

_**KskskksskksksksKSKKsksKSKrRKRKrrRrrrrr!**_

"_It's a shame, Lux."_

"!?"

Fugil stared at the current Lux, he spoke with a passive look.

"_You couldn't afford to kill, you put morality over righteousness. Those who deserve to die should meet death, sympathetic won't do any good against the corruption of men."_

"That is not for you to decide!"

"_Then what are you going to do about that?" _

Lux turned his view to the direction Fugil pointed at. Time came to a stop for him.

"How….?"

There was another shift in the world. Lux's confused gaze meet the scornful eyes of the emperor who sat on the throne, unharmed. Next to him, a Drag-Knight stood. Its giant blade prepared and placed near the neck of a young girl.

"What is this…..?"

_**KksksksskKSKsSKSKsksksksksksskSKSKSkskssksksksskrrrr!**_

His train of thoughts overlapped one another, unable to comprehend the circumstance. The memories suddenly became different.

"_You can't do anything if she is taken hostage, isn't that right?"_

Lux looked back to Fugil only to widen his eyes in pure shock, the figure of the man he pinned down was gone.

"_For someone who is too kind for his own good such as you, this is as far as you can go. I even have high expectation from you."_

Lux realized the change in Fugil's tone. He found the man standing next to him and immediately went into a defensive stance. However, the half older brother didn't make any move. He merely gave Lux the look of genuine disappointment.

"_You can't save anything."_

Through the big crack on the ceiling, the former young prince noticed something colossal towering the sky. It emitted a bright light.

Lux couldn't keep his vision away from the sight.

As everything went dark, he lost the feeling of all five senses.

* * *

**Part 2**

Lux startled as the heavy eyelids shot open, he didn't feel any strength in his body.

Memories of the unpleasant time flooded his mind. During the final day of the coup d'état, he was betrayed by the person he trusted the most. At the very least, that was some of the details he remembered.

Somehow, it all became hazy.

…why did you have to mess my mind like this, Fugil Nii-san?

"Oh, I see you already woke up."

Lux looked at the small shadow, who was sitting on top a barrel in front of him, crossing the leg. The shady figure cloaked in black robe left their spot and approached him. At this point, Lux aware that his hands were chained to the wall by an old, rusty handcuff. He also felt a tingling pain on his side. The more he tried to move, the feeling became more prominent.

The two swords were placed next to his side. In this condition, he couldn't do anything with it.

"You look like you're in pain. Did I break a bone somewhere?" The nonchalant voice of that girl grabbed his attention.

"Who are you?"

"Don't you recognize me, Ruined Prince?"

As she stared down at him, Lux noticed the white collar on her neck. A sequence of memories flashed through his mind.

That time, at the weapons trade location on that snowy mountain.

The rebel army.

The attacks on the innocent villagers.

The mysterious information broker, who let him know the happening of the trade.

The same white collar on the thin neck of the girl, who never revealed her face and gave him that info.

"You are the Black Marketer!?"

"I'm flattered, you actually remember." She made a happy face, though the sarcasm was showing all over it. "Don't be surprised. That has always been this me from the beginning."

"Why are you here!? Why did you help the spy plant the Abyss eggs under Cross Field!? What do you want to gain from doing this!?"

On the contrary to that faked expression, Lux was not in the mood to stay calm after knowing all the things that were done.

"Okay, stop. Stop. One question at a time." The Black Marketer held up both hands. "I am trying to have a normal conversation with you here, Ruined Prince. Show some respect to your senior."

"Senior? Again, I don't understand the way you're talking."

"At least try to take a hint, Idiotic Prince."

Lux sweat dropped, he gained a new insulted nickname from this person. This was one of the many individuals he could hardly handle. He scanned around. They were in a small room lit up by torches light.

"What is this place?"

"The underground vault. To be exact, this is the prison of the old district, abandoned and buried into the earth by the establishment of the New Kingdom. They did many horrible things to the prisoners here during the reign of the Old Arcadia Empire. Day after day, with their imprisonment being kept this deep in the ground. No one could listen to those who screamed of help under tortures."

The Black Marketer seemed to enjoy the story as she told him. He recognized a place like that existed on the map of the Old Arcadia Empire. After the coup five years ago, the country became a massive ruin. Very few buildings and houses remained intact.

Then came the renovation, places that carried the symbol of the Old Empire were broke down and built anew. Something like a prison where there was history of deaths, tortures and those who endured a cruel fate should be best to keep hidden from the public.

The time of peace never needed such horror to exist.

"You're using this place as a base then?"

"That's right. Now that you found out, I can't stay here anymore." She sounded disappointed at first, blunt hostility revealed in the next second. "Take responsibility and let me hit you."

She kicked him in the side.

"Gah!" Lux whined.

The pain grew as he was forced to move.

"Ah. So I did broke a bone."

"Why are you…ouch…doing this? Keeping me alive after I discovered the Abyss."

"No important reason. I am having the time of my life watching you being cornered and helpless." She shrugged with a deadpanned tone. "Such occasion like this doesn't often happen. Hey, don't give me that creeped out look. You're hurting a girl's feeling, I'm going to get a heartbreak."

"Who exactly are you, Black Marketer-san?"

"Arm dealer, information broker, the Black Marketer at your service." She replied jokingly. "For other details, I prefer to keep it as my secret. It's too soon to dig your nose into that matter."

Certainly, she helped him before. In some way, that was due to a personal motive. She only aided him for her own benefit. Which side she was on, the good or the bad, was an unclear question.

"How long have I been here?"

Panic or worry wouldn't solve anything for him, Lux decided to do some information gathering by getting as much info from her as possible. From there, he could come up with a routine to act accordingly.

In a much more pressing matter, he wanted to know how long those Abyss were roaming around. The existence of one alone could endanger many lives.

"Couple of hours. I could have done many things to your body during that time."

"W-Wait! What do you plan to do with my body!?" He panicked. Cold sweat dripped down his face.

Letting out a mocking sigh, she bent down at eye level, her hand grabbed his shirt and pulled up. The many scars and healed wounds exposed to her view.

"It's a pity since you've already received more than enough. There's no spot left for me to place my mark on you."

She pulled out a knife, Lux's pale reflection appeared on the sharp object.

"I can go for the face, you know." Her small hand firmly held his chin. The tip of the knife traced the skin on his cheek. "Though I won't be sure if the annoying handsomeness will remain to attract the sluts around you. But if you want to, just say please and I will do us both a favor."

Silence was his respond.

"Well, I'm giving a suggestion." She threw the knife away. "You show no reaction at all. Boring."

"What is it that you really want from me?" Lux headed straight to the point.

"Good question." She drew closer, holding his face with both hands. Lux could feel her breath as their faces were mere inches away. "You have the same eyes as me, a pair of abnormal cold eyes. You wear the façade of the weak, always appear as a naïve, foolish boy. Despite the appearance, you're actually a beast in every sense."

Suddenly, her expression stiffened. Lux could see anger overflowing in those eyes.

"Yet you never aware of that nature, how ridiculous. It irritates me."

The Black Marketer let him go and took some steps back, a golden flute prepared in her hand as she brought it to her lip.

"That's-!?"

***IIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii***

The entire place shook.

The stone wall on the other side began to melt, turning into mush and collapsed. A giant walking pool of lava moved. The purple eyeballs of the Slime peeked in through the hole it made.

"For your earlier questions, I will answer them."

"!?"

The monster made of boiling liquid sunk, its bright red body slowly turned black, cooling down. The herd of Gargoyles were floating behind, waiting for the change to happen.

"I am here because this is an operation I personally participated out of my own interest."

The surface on the Slime's body began to inflate at many places, bubbles rapidly blew bigger.

"I helped the spy plant the eggs because those things were sold by me, I have the responsibility to see this through. I don't care if it affects the life of others. For my own purpose, it is something I do for living as the Black Marketer."

After the popping sound of balloons roared all over the place, the strength that equaled to a group of skilled Drag-Knight revealed. A herd of more than ten Gargoyles rose up from the body of the Slime. Together with the one that already appeared, the numbers exceeded over twenty.

"What I gain from this is…let's see." That girl, who had an evil smirk, placed a finger to her chin, thinking. "Generally speaking, money…."

She raised the flute to her mouth once more. The Gargoyles obediently scattered around, a few went back to the underground channel. Lux eyes went wide when the monsters began to shoot bullet from their wings at the ceiling above. The underground rocked in earthquake as debris began to fall.

The entire place was right below Cross Field. If the layers supported the town was bounded to be destroyed, the whole city would crumble apart. Thousands would lose their lives in the blink of an eyes.

"…and the destruction of a kingdom, which is happening ahead of schedule."

"STOPPP!" Lux yelled. "Are you insane!? Stop this!"

His demand met with a loud laughter. As all things that were collapsing around her, that girl just stood there and laughed to her heart's content. The despair portrayed on his face gave her a fun time, she enjoyed this feeling. A shock of pleasure embraced her body just by seeing that horrified look.

Lux tried to stand up, pulling the chain with all his might. Of course, it wouldn't break off.

"Easy. Easy now." She hugged her stomach. Her leg almost gave out with all that guffaw. "Oh, that was such a good expression! I haven't seen it for a while!"

The shaking stopped. Explosions occurred from the Abyss's shooting caused the rock and dirt to fill the air.

"The Abyss stopped?"

"This is the best! Harassing this guy feels so good!" The girl calmed down, breathing raggedly. "I should stop this before my naughtiness is getting ahead of me."

Lux didn't see her face well with the hood covering her head. However, he couldn't deny that the skin on that girl's cheek was burning red. What was wrong with this person!?

"How cute. You think I would destroy Cross Field right on the spot. I'll let you in for a fact, I'm only selling weapons and information to those who need it. Obliterating this country is not my job to do, I'm not interested. Rather than that." She grabbed his head, shoving the boy back to the wall. "I desire to see a certain someone let out their true nature instead of hiding oneself like a scared rabbit inside its cave."

"True nature…..what are you talking about?"

"Looks like I need to give it a push." The Black Marketer showed him the golden flute. "You see, this instrument can help me control the Abyss. Those mechanical existences that are the natural enemies of mankind will follow every command I tell them to. For now, they stopped the attack."

Lux didn't know if he should believe those words. If that was the case, he felt somewhat relieve.

"The next wave will start shortly though."

"…what?"

"Oh, am I getting your hope up? Too bad."

Unexpectedly, she dropped the horn flute, slamming her feet on it. From a single piece, the instrument became a hundred fragments, unusable.

"This tool is the only way for you to make them stop. With nothing to overwrite the old command, they will continue killing things for eternity."

"Why!? Why are you doing this!? The people of this city did nothing wrong!"

"True. They did nothing wrong." She glared at him. The evil smirk spread wide like the crescent moon. "Unfortunately, they will be the perfect catalyst for a wakeup call to trigger the beast in slumber. If anything happens to the people up there, it is on you. Blame yourselves after this if you aren't able to protect them."

While kneeling on the ground, Lux forced himself on his feet. The chain around the handcuff on his wrist pulled out, reaching full length.

"I'm not going to stop even if you beg." She stated an obvious fact. "Oh, oh! That glare is amusing! Are you mad at me? Do you feel like killing me now?"

Lux struggled with the chain, desperate trying to break out of the persistent handcuff. It was a pointless action.

"Sit down, you fool."

Growing impatient, she sent a kick to his stomach. Lux gasped in pain as he stumbled backward and fell on his back, the chain kept his arm in the air. Despite being a girl, the Black Marketer possessed a good physical strength. The white sword was picked up from the floor, unsheathed. The dangerous girl in black robe pointed it at Lux, and slowly, she raised it high over her head while wearing a slasher smile.

A sense of dread hit Lux. He was not able to do anything to get out of this situation. The boy closed his eyes, braced himself for the incoming strike.

***Clang***

"It was fun while it lasted."

The chain that pinned on the wall was cut off. Lux was filled with puzzlement when the girl threw back the white sword to his arms. Too many questions storming his mind, he couldn't determine a clear intention from this individual.

The next thing he knew, a key hit the floor in front of him.

"There, the key for your handcuff. Be grateful at the mercy from this me."

"W-Why?"

Paying no heel to his muttering, the girl went to a lift leading somewhere above.

"Wait!" Breaking out of his confusing state, Lux quickly unlocking the iron shackle. "I want answers!"

She stopped, glancing over her shoulder.

"Did you kill the spy?"

"Ah?" She frowned in annoyance.

"He was killed in the hospital yesterday. Did you do that to him!?"

The boy clenched his fist, waiting for her respond. If that girl was going to slip away, this might be his last chance to get to the bottom of everything.

"That old man was useful and that's all I care. His death has nothing to do with me. Perhaps the others thought it would be troublesome to let him live so they disposed him for good."

"How many accomplices do you have?"

"One, ten, hundred, thousand?" She shrugged. "Take a guess. Anything else before I leave?"

Lux grabbed the swords.

"My last question."

Fire on the torches flickered by a gust of wind.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing?" The Black Marketer saw the tip of a blade pointed at her neck. "Put this rude sword away."

The former prince just made a dash, he shortened the distance within seconds. There were sharp glints in his eyes, Lux who was the weakest turned dead serious.

Everything was at stake, the wound on his side was a problem he no longer cared about.

"The old man mentioned to me that my appearance resembling you. I didn't notice it before because I wouldn't want to pry into an arm dealer's business."

But that thought soon changed. No longer hid inside the hood, her silver haired exposed under the light.

"You have the same hair color as me, the same trait every family member of the Old Empire's Arcadias inherits. Are you-?"

"Be veeery careful with your next words, Prince-sama." The voice grew dark.

Lux flinched. He felt a sudden yet drastic change in her mood.

"Hah, aren't you a curious one. What will you do once you know the answer?"

"Depend on yours."

"Shouldn't you be worried about the situation?" She sighed, uncared at the weapon near her throat. "The Abyss haven't done anything right now, why don't you play the hero, make up the time to eliminate them before the attack begins instead of standing here and questioning me like an idiot?"

"…"

"What a cruel guy you are, Lux Arcadia. You're wasting valuable time to save people, you know. Do you think you can stop the simultaneous shooting from over twenty Abyss across the whole underground? Let's not forget that they will attack you back."

Lux gritted his teeth. He didn't want to admit it, she was right.

When the next wave came, the attack wouldn't be at one place. If he didn't make it in time to destroy them all, the likely event that would occur will be the collapse of parts of the city. It was mid night. Casualties would be inevitable, and that was not the only problem. Lux Arcadia was only one person, he couldn't possibly stop all of them in such a large-scale attack.

He had his own limit.

"Time's up. Get ready~." Her sing song tone marked the beginning of an earthquake.

The whole place shook. Cracks gradually spread through the ceiling and floor. The Abyss had already started shooting again. The floor beneath Lux fell apart.

"Put on a good performance for me, Ruined Prince. I have high expectation from someone such as your caliber to be everyone's hero."

The last part was stressed in a mocking tone while the lift began to move. That girl's figure became smaller and smaller.

Only a scornful laugh resounded.

* * *

**Part 3**

"Ggrrr."

The little cat was shaking, ears turned sideways.

"What's wrong, kitty?"

It couldn't sleep.

Along with the heavy rain outside, its nonstop growled in the corner of the house woke up the residents. Everyone was worried as they noticed the scaring gesture from the feline animal, especially the children who had spent the evening to play with it while Lux was doing his job.

"Kids, go to bed now." The father, who requested Lux, spoke up.

The children listened to him and headed back to their room with the mother.

The man approached the cat to see what was wrong with its behavior.

To his surprise, objects in the houses began to make noise as they swayed back and forth. The flower pot on the table strayed from the original spot.

It was not the doing of a supernatural force.

It was the trembling that steadily grew bigger in frequency.

It was happening at every place in Fort City.

An earthquake.

* * *

**Part 4**

"Stop! STOOOOOOOOOOOOOPP!"

Lux screamed. His voice was overlapped by a series of explosions.

The blue Wyvern shifted its body and flew past a few falling rocks. Lux managed to wipe out some Gargoyles so far. But the number of the mechanical beasts were still big.

He couldn't afford to lose focus for even one second. The Wyvern used Breath Gun to fire at the next group of Abyss. The light-type bullet from their wings came out repeatedly at a fast pace. Some of the monsters dodged out the way, Lux's bullets hit the rock, causing the solid crust on top to crumble away as it lost the support.

Right in this instance, the boy was struck by a disadvantage. He couldn't use the long-range weapon in this kind of environment, it would add more risk to the unstable condition of the surface above.

He must resort to the wire-tail, the daggers and the sword of his Wyvern.

Time was running short, the usual combat style which devoted to defense was no use in this kind of situation. He couldn't care less about anything now that a region of the New Kingdom was put in danger, he could only attack, attack and attack until they were all wiped out.

This was an indifferent battle that could not be compared to all the previous battles.

He considered using the second Sword Device. But that won't do, he absolutely mustn't use it here. The energy output from each strike of that Drag-Ride and the weapons it carried could make things worse. One careless miscalculation and he could cause the disaster to happen faster.

Lux had to keep the surface safe while not relying on the trump card to deal with the problem. Not only that, the pain on his side seemed to have grown worst. The intensity was multiplying as he strained his whole body to fight.

Cutting down the Gargoyle ahead, Lux immediately went for the next one.

To gain the upper hand, his Wyvern was forced to detach the thick armors which was tripled the weight to solely focus on offensive and increase the speed.

The Gargoyle type Abyss was an intelligent beast. Their movements swapped, the group all came after Lux. To dodge the attacks, Lux mostly depended on his reflex and instinct. He didn't have the time to analyze and observe where the next hit came from.

"Ah…."

The group of Gargoyle suddenly scattered, shooting all places in view while flying around. It became a chase between mouse and cat. One charged directly at him. The former prince responded to it by switching his choice of weapons. The wire-tail shot out, letting the Abyss dodged and a dagger accurately went for the head.

While controlling the Machine Dragon, his stamina remained at a good pace. Although that fact would change, he was pouring everything into a battle against more than twenty Abyss. Alone and restraint in a confined and risky place. Because of that, the energy was consumed much quicker.

A Gargoyle soared to the roof above. When you were below the ground, the tallest spot on top the ceiling was always the nearest place to the surface. Changing direction, the Wyvern pursued. A large piece of rock crashed down between Lux and the Abyss. The moment it came out of sight the latter rushed back at the lone Machine Dragon. Two pair of deathly claws were ready to bring him down.

It was a feint.

Lux prepared for it. The sword swung horizontally, yet the Abyss was not yet inside the range. However, hitting the thing with the sword was never his intention. The Gargoyle hesitated to move in at the wide swing. That was enough for him to act. He flung the sword toward it. The speed was fast and strong enough to pierce through the monster's chest. Thruster boosted up, Lux charged in, grabbed the handle and pushed.

Despite being sliced apart, the thing managed to tear off the shoulder part of the Wyvern's left arm.

The boy inhaled before being cut off midway by dodging another falling debris. The aggressive fighting style and continuously evading barely left room for him to breathe. Everything was processed in an accelerating pace. His body and mind were in sync during the combat. Lux would never forgive himself if he got distracted and wasted even a second. There were lots of them. He didn't know how much longer the place could hold.

Instinct rang an alarm bell in his head.

…behind me!

The blue Wyvern moved, darting out the way of light-type bullets coming from the group of Gargoyles below. It struck the rock above and exploded.

"Oh no!"

Lux regretted dodging that, he did that purely out of reflex. He should have used the automatic shield to stop the bullet.

A portion of the ceiling broke down. In the mist of chaos, he heard raining.

Drop of waters splashed to the armor and his face. A hole was made on that place, the surface world was right through that gap.

"…..no…..no…"

He wouldn't make it. At this rate, he really wouldn't be able to make it.

For his consequence, once the earth collapsed, he could have been likely to be buried underneath along with the Abyss. If he couldn't find a way to act quick, he wouldn't be able to save everyone.

Call for help?

Retreat?

Sacrifice himself?

Risk it all?

Was there really nothing he can do?

Despair grew within Lux. Cold chilling air of rainy night took over his senses.

"_You're the weakest, Lux."_

"!?"

Time slowed down.

"_Why don't you play the hero…."_

"_I don't care about that title."_

"_A Hero is just a title that can be passed down to anyone."_

"_Nii-san, don't forget our purpose."_

"_No matter how much skills he has and achievement he raises, such a person can't be a hero."_

Voices spoke.

The hazy memories flashed in front his very eyes.

During the coup five years ago, he chose to set himself up as a hero in order to unite the allies across the country. Under the command of Count Atismata, the rebel army sparked war with the Old Arcadia Empire.

When everything was over, it was only that.

"_You're not in the caliber of king."_

"_You know nothing of the world."_

"_You can't save anything."_

The words that weighed his soul now as light as a blurry fog, he couldn't comprehend which was the reality. They were a part of those dreams, the connections that took him back to the distant past.

The caliber of hero.

The caliber of king.

The weakest existence that was him, the Chore Prince.

Deep down, he was fully aware. He stopped caring about those titles a long time ago.

He can't be a king, because he couldn't change a country.

He can't be a hero, because he couldn't do anything to his people when he was a prince.

He turned his back to all those ideals and lived as a handyman for the New Kingdom.

In his current position, he was no better than an ordinary criminal. Just a young former prince who lived the life of a commoner.

Seven days after the war was over, the coup was said to be a success. The Old Arcadia Empire met its end with the death of most of the imperial royalty and important figures. Over twenty thousand soldiers were killed in action on the battlefield.

And the same fate applied to 1200 Drag-Knights who also participated.

The change he tried to make, the ideal end to which he believed in, it was nowhere….

The definition of hero.

It meant nothing more than an invisible boulder weighted down the shoulder of those who has the responsibility to save all.

By all mean, he was never suitable to bear such title. His belief was crushed by the aftermath of the coup. His soul was chained by a curse. His mind was haunted by ghostly voices.

While living the life of a Chore Prince, he met the people of the town and around the Kingdom, with whom he was never get in touch until now. He became a familiar existence.

The girl from the liquor store and her father, who offered him a spare room to stay for the night.

The strict blacksmith, who took Lux in as his apprentice.

The brown skin mechanic man, who taught Lux the engineering skills to maintenance Drag-Rides.

The clever carpenter, who showed him the skills to fix stuff.

The daring young ojou-sama and her clumsy father, who was a gentleman.

The three siblings, who ran a restaurant.

The woman with good physique, who requested Lux to help in her kitchen.

The boss of the construction company and the workers, who always gave a good laugh story.

The children in the neighborhood, who were willing to befriend and let him play many fun games with them during his rare day off.

The bar owner, who liked to tease him with dirty jokes as they joined in the fun with their guests.

The little cat that decided to stick with him like an inseparable friend, he hadn't gave it a name.

The list went on with more and more people around the continent that he met during the two years of his trip outside Cross Field. Lux was saved because of them. They accepted him and he was closed to understand the words "for the people" even though he no longer stood in the position of a royalty.

The boy was happy because he could help them.

Then, there were Airi, Relie-san, Philuffy, Sharis, Tillfur, Noct and Lisha-sama.

Everyone's safety was at stake. Cross Field was in danger and he couldn't save them. The entire city population was not aware of what would become of them in the next morning. It was a torment that would break him apart, a joke that went too far.

….ah, that's right…..from the beginning…..because of me, they will…

This happened because he decided to go alone, didn't he? It was his fault for knowing this but didn't ask anyone for help.

"Guuuuuuuaaaaaahhhhhh!"

Lux snapped out of his own thoughts as the howling punched his eardrums.

A barrage of light-type bullet shot his way.

"[Howling Roar]!"

His technique deflected the attack, only to create an opening for another Gargoyle to rush in. An arm brought up and struck down, knocking Lux and his Drag-Ride to the side of the cliff.

Damage to the default armor exceeded 20%. Auto barrier reconstructed.

Lux's Wyvern was on the verge of losing the left arm.

The pain in his side became severe. His body was trembling. The boy merely sighed, he felt exhausted.

The group of Abyss began to charge altogether, some shot out bullet from their wings. The next attacks were aiming directly at him.

This could have been the moment of resignation. He failed to protect them. Lux loosened his grip on the controllers.

This reminded him of that time years ago. He remembered the reason why he left Cross Field. Along with the world biggest mystery, the Black Hero's identity. It was the truth that had never been revealed.

….Airi…..I…

Finally, Lux closed his eyes.

The darkness on the other side of his eyelids cleared away the disturbance.

"_You're actually a beast in every sense."_

Somewhere in the back of his mind, that voice still echoed. As if it remained to trigger a wakeup call, like a key word. The beast that person spoke about, Lux wondered what the meaning behind that word could be.

Soon, the trembling stopped. As well as the earth-shattering explosions that occurred everywhere.

It all went silent.

* * *

**Part 5**

Morning came.

Commotions broke out around Fort City.

Everyone was safe after the sudden earthquake of that rainy night. A big hole was found where the fountain once stood, cracks appeared at several places on the streets.

Guards were alerted. They arrived to secure the area and examine the scene.

"We'll leave this to you in the meantime, the Triad." The guard gave an okay sign. "The others have their hands full. It seems the same thing happens to other districts."

Even Sharis, Tillfur and Noct of the Triad were there to provide support.

In the case this was the work of terrorists, it was their duty as the vigilante corps to protect the place where the hands of the garrison could not reach. Wearing the pilot suits, they went inside the big hole using a rope. Hands ready to reach the sword device at any moment.

The sunlight shone at the bottom revealed the sight that caused them to gasp in awe.

The body parts and corpses of Gargoyles type Abyss scattered in a vast underground area beneath Cross Field. Some were rotting and dissolving into ash.

"Is that…..Lux-cchi!?"

Within all that mess, the unconscious form of a boy with silver hair and a black choker on his neck was found lying on top the higher ground surrounded by a lake.

The boy's mouth and nose were bleeding tiny streams of blood, breathing weakly.

His motionless blue Wyvern lied on top the corpse of a Gargoyle, losing an arm and completely broken. The remaining arm, which was intact, held in a position where one could see that it bashed the head of the monster to the wet ground in the most violent way.

They recognized that Drag-Ride from somewhere.

"If I'm not mistaken, the one that fought the Gargoyle at the church site was.…." Sharis muttered.

Fragments of the great sword pinned a part of the Abyss into the rock. The witnesses felt like they just saw the aftermath of a hellish battle. The fact that Abyss appeared down here shocked them.

The biggest concern here was the boy, whom the girls recognized as their friend, Lux Arcadia. No one could determine what happened.

But it was not that hard for everyone to take a guess by looking at the scene.

"Lux-san did all of this?"

A single human against a large herb of Abyss alone, it was an impossible fight. Yet he miraculously survived and unconscious while his Drag-Ride was heavily damaged.

They didn't know why he was down here alone with the most dangerous enemies of mankind.

Information about the discovery of the Triad was undisclosed. The citizens only needed to know this was caused by an earthquake. Otherwise, a widespread panic would occur.

Lux was sent to the local hospital.

Once he woke up, that boy will have a lot to answer for.

* * *

**Between the Line**

_That day, he was requested to go on an expedition. The mission was to add the military corps._

"_You will act as a bait to lure the Abyss to the other side of the area. While you are busy, the unit will take that chance to retreat from the red zone."_

_An order like that was executed._

"_Farewell, naïve prince. Send my regard to your father the goddamn Emperor in hell."_

_With no hesitation, the entrance shut off. _

_The boy had been tricked._

_As he tried to escape, dozens of hundreds of Abyss surrounded his Drag-Ride. He was in the heart of a nest._

_That boy made a promise to his little sister, he would come back on the weekend and take her to a flower shop for a present she wants to decorate. Fear shocked his core as he came to realize that he wouldn't be able to keep his words._

_That girl would be left all alone in the world._

_The Abyss began to start the attacks on a single prey._

_The boy closed his eyes, his grip on the controllers tightened. _

_This happened because he was careless._

_He hated this._

…

…

_The entrance lifted open after days of closing._

_Those who participated in the expedition were speechless at the sight in front their eyes._

_A terrifying large amount of blood splashed across the corridors, walls and hallways. Corpses of the Abyss scattered on every floor, slowly disintegrating into black ash._

_At the middle of the scene that seemed to be taken directly from hell, a young boy was found sitting alone next to a nearly dysfunctional Machine Dragon,_ almost went beyond the state where it could no longer be fixed.

_His eyes were closing as if he was asleep, the trails of dried red substance stuck on his bloody face. Parts of his shirt was paint red with the blood leaking from his nose and mouth. This showed that he bled and vomited blood due to extreme fatigue. _

_He was clutching to the two Sword Devices, never let go as they were a part of him._

_When a cadet officer approached to check on the boy's condition, that boy eventually opened his eyes. He stood froze by an abnormal cold glare. _

_It was the look that could kill, sharp like a dragon who woke up from its long slumber._

"…_ah…..it's finally over…"_

_At the signs of human, his gaze instantly went soft. And the boy smiled. After many days, those were the first words he spoke to them. _

_Letting out a sigh in relief, his consciousness drifted away for good._

_That day, something within that boy snapped._

_It was the beginning of a quiet awakening._

/

* * *

**Author's Note: The next chapter is the conclusion to this Arc and possibly a temporary end of this story. **

**Thank you for reading and take care!**


	14. Chapter 14: His-Change

**************Disclaimer: I do not own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut series.**************

* * *

**~Chapter 14~**

**His_Change**

**Part 1**

Portions of the ceiling above collapsed. The loud echoing added more trouble to his sore head.

Lux felt dizzy. A massive headache twisted his brain like it was about to explode. An enormous strain was crushing his body. An overflowing amount of blood leaked from his mouth, locking the path. Not only that, his nose was bleeding. He couldn't breathe.

"….gu….h."

He gasped for air, trying to perceive the clear visual image of his vision.

The crushed head of a Gargoyle.

The cause was none other than the redly dampish metallic arm of his Wyvern, bathed in the liquid coming from the interior of that beast's head. His hand was on the controller of that arm. Lux struggled as he got out the cockpit, his stamina completely drained out. Staggered, he fell on the monster's lifeless body and into the lake below.

Having no air left in the lung, the underground water suffocated him. The boy couldn't move those limbs that went numb, he didn't even have the strength to lift a finger. He was too exhausted to even feel the tension in every muscle of his body. Lux's whole life flashed before his very eyes as he was drowned.

The struggling stopped as his vision went dark.

* * *

**Part 2**

A hand pulled the boy out of the water and dragged him to the higher ground.

Mismatched eyes color stared down at a ghastly pale Lux. One satisfied grin appeared on the lip of the girl in a wet black robe.

"That was one heck of a show. You literally massacred them all in a flash with just a Wyvern." The Black Marketer clapped. "Good job, Prince-sama."

"….."

"I see that bestial side of yours went back into slumber, the [Inner Dragon] was brutal than I imagined it would be. Never thought I saw a Drag-Ride ripped off its own arm to attack an enemy, that's a first in history book. You even cooped well during its moment of rampage."

The former prince displayed no reaction to her compliment. The cruel girl who drove him into this situation wiped the strands of hair that stuck to the upper part of his face. Lux's half-opened eyes no longer moved, the dim light left inside was gone.

"Oi, oi. Don't pull this kind of stunt on me."

She tried slapping his cheek to get a reaction. Still, he didn't. The arm dealer rolled up the shirt, applying her ear to his chest. The girl began to startle a bit as she listened to his heartbeat. The Ruined Prince was in cardiac arrest, he was already placing one foot on the other side.

"Tch! I went overboard." She grunted a soft voice. Malice did not linger anywhere in that tone.

Taking off the robe, the Black Marketer's slender built statue exposed to the early sunlight that breached through the large hole above.

The wet close-fitting white sleeveless top glued to her small feature, matching with the white collar on the silver haired girl's neck. She wore an unzipped black pant which were damped, the same state as the brown leather boots.

An outfit like that were hid under the black mantle. She never intent to make herself stand out anywhere. She was not an ordinary person with an attractive look, it was part of what defined her wicked nature as the Black Marketer.

The pair of heterochronic eyes glimmered faintly as she shifted next to Lux's side.

"That time **Mishis** did it like this….10 times…" Recalling a memory, she placed the palmar side of her hand on his chest and performed chest compression.

Normally, it was not like her to do such thing. The kindness that may possibly remained elsewhere in that girl applied to her selfish desires only. After the chaos she caused to him yesterday, there were many things about the other side of his inner self that she wanted to see more.

Her thirst for that existence hadn't run out yet.

The Black Marketer turned to Lux's face. Her next aim was that mouth which stained by vomited blood. Eyebrows twitching, she was about to do the thing that she wasn't really fond of. Rather, she absolutely hated it. Doing this would annoy her to no end.

But….

"I'm not done harassing you yet. Don't just go off and hit the dirt until I allow it."

Because it was him. If it was this boy, it would be different.

She lifted Lux's chin and inhaled deeply. The gap between them slowly shortened.

* * *

**Part 3**

"Gah! Hah…huh…"

Air filled back his lung. Lux coughed as he could finally breathe again.

"Yo. How was the family reunion on the other side?"

Lux weakly opened his eyes. The girl with the derisive tone grinned at his pathetic state. Her mouth was stained by a red liquid and she wiped it off.

"Damn prince, you have me worried there. Thought I almost lost a good toy."

He didn't have the strength to utter a word. His mouth was moving but no sound was coming out. Through sheer will, his arm trembled as it raised up and grabbed her wrist. She looked at him uninterested. There wasn't an inch of power in the grip.

"No need to get so hasty, just stay here and rest obediently. If you beg for more harassment, I may kill you off by accident, you know."

She shoved his arm away.

"Thanks to you, the third stage is completed. This will create a good distraction until the final stage of the operation begins. Ah, you might wonder why I'm telling this little classified information. Let's just think of it as my sincere gratitude." The Black Marketer mischievously poked his cheek. "I pushed you over the edge, you did me a favor for letting out the [Inner Dragon]. For that, you earn this. Consider it a reward for showing me a splendid performance, Prince-sama."

"…"

"Oh, here's an extra bonus." She leaned in. Their eyes locked. "The name is **Hayes**. It is the official title of the Black Marketer. Look into it if you want, I doubt you will find anything about this me either way."

Hayes retrieved the robe and walked out of his sight.

"Goodbye, Lux Arcadia. Let's look forward to our next meeting."

A laughed resounded in that place.

Lux's consciousness slipped back into the darkness.

* * *

**Part 4**

It was a quiet night.

He saw an unfamiliar wooden ceiling and a window that was briefly opened next to his bed. The fragrance of medical herb filled his nostril. He felt the gentle wind caressed his face. The pain from the broken rib in his side and the fatigue were all gone.

Lux looked out to a clear sky with many stars. The glittering cosmic river stretching across the heaven was beautiful, it put him at ease.

As he tried to get up, Lux noticed a warm feeling.

….Airi?

Alone, she stayed in the room with him.

Airi Arcadia, his one and only family left in the world, gripped his hand as she leaned on the side of the bed and fell asleep. Her eyes were swollen, traces of tear lingered on the cheeks.

Seeing such an expression, the sense of dread hit Lux.

…...I made her cry.

The last time the same thing happened was five years ago after the coup when he didn't wake up for a whole week. Airi had become emotionally stronger than before. Yet the sight of her big brother ended up in the hospital would break the toughed front she built up. She became like this due to his recklessness. He ventured into the lion's den without anyone aware to eliminate the threat that were the planted Abyss eggs in the underground.

In the end, things went out of hand. Waking up on a hospital bed after that must have been the work of a miracle. The lack of regard for the consequence nearly got him killed.

And from the look of it, the disaster didn't occur.

Although.

…Hayes….

The girl who was the Black Marketer, a complicated individual with unclear objective. She had the same characteristic of the Arcadia bloodline. She told him to look forward to the next meeting. He met her before, and she aided him out of gain for her own benefit. Whether she was a good or bad person, Lux could not judge.

Nevertheless, this encounter changed his impression. The horn flute and the Abyss.

Just what was the true identity of Hayes?

And then, the thing she said about. The [Inner Dragon], what was it?

Somehow, a lot of questions had piled up. Lux was not sure how to make out of this spiral of confusion. Everyone was saved. But it came at the cost of hurting a person's feeling.

Lux quietly rubbed his sister's head. Airi unconsciously made little movements in react to his touch.

"I'm sorry."

The passing breeze of midnight carried that soft voice away.

* * *

**Part 5**

Three days had passed since the earthquake struck.

After getting the news of Lux being involved in an incident, Airi was in no mood to focus on the tasks. She couldn't even concentrate properly during being busy with works and commissions as a student of civil official aspiration, that girl was willing to make up the time to visit the hospital outside the academy, where the Chore Prince was resting for medical treatment.

Each day, she went there to check on her big brother's condition. Knowing that, the three closest friends of her were worried as they noticed the depression in that girl's eyes.

"Last night, Airi didn't return to the dorm." Noct of the Triad said as she walked together with Tillfur and Sharis on the street. "She must have stayed in the hospital to look after Lux-san."

"Airi-chan is having a roughed time, huh." Tillfur took out a silver charm in her pocket. "I wonder if he regains conscious yet. He showed no sign of waking up in the past few days."

"The doctor said his condition is not life threatening, didn't he? I'm sure he will come to soon." Sharis eyed the bouquet of rose she brought along. "We all prepared gifts for him."

Regarding the incident of the earthquake, the investigation was carried out until the authority found a definite answer. Everything related to the dozens of Abyss found dead in the underground channel was concealed, not a single detail was known to the public. The same also applied to the presence of Lux Arcadia and the evidences that proved the former prince to be deeply involved in the serious matter.

The emergency respond unit had already cleaned up the scene.

However, there had been reports of lack of water resources from the locals. Fortunately, the solution to their problem was found as the large area underneath Cross Field also connected to many pools of groundwater.

"I'm still wondering." Tillfur threw her arms behind her head, staring at the sky in a thoughtful manner. "Why did Lux-cchi decide to go alone? Surely, he knew something happened beforehand. He could have alerted the guards and asked for help. Otherwise, he could have come to us."

"Yes. It is difficult to know what a boy is thinking."

"Ah, I may have the answer for that." Sharis scratched her cheek in awkward, causing the other two to look at her.

Her thought back to the item that Airi retrieved from the panic room at the church site. Originally, that girl made a request to her to find it for the purpose of helping a certain someone to advance the investigation. The favor was a secret between them. The incident at the church site in the third district and the incident just now, both cases were related by the appearance of the Abyss.

And surprisingly, the same blue Drag-Ride Wyvern. Connecting the dots would no doubt lead to that boy, Lux Arcadia.

After coming to such conclusion, Sharis let out a small sigh.

In a way, she saw herself as someone who was also at fault. As a person with a strong sense of justice, she felt some regret because of that. When Airi asked her to look for the item, she didn't really dig deeper into that girl's reason. She should have looked inside the content of that box.

"I guess this happened because I was careless."

Things could have been different.

But.

Even though it bugged them, the Triad came to know one thing about Lux Arcadia, who was a Drag-Ride user like them. To fight against the Gargoyles alone and survived with just a general-purpose Machine Dragon, that boy must have been incredibly strong.

The trio entered the medical institution at the first district. In the morning, the reception was bustling with the number of patients. They followed the corridor that led to the upper floor and reached Lux's room. Through the small window on the door, they caught the sight of something they didn't normally see.

The silver haired boy was sitting on his knee. His whole face was pale. On the other hand, the little sister stood in front of him, arms folding with a stern look.

A dark aura dominated the atmosphere while a cold smile bloomed on Airi's lip.

Lux was in the middle of a long lecture.

* * *

**Part 6**

"Foolish Nii-san, is there anything you would like to say to me?" Airi raised a question after finishing her scolding.

"I'm very sorry for not thinking it through." Lux drooped his head. "I caused you to worry about me."

"And?"

An apology wouldn't be enough to cut it this time.

"I'll reflect on what happened."

The little sister kept her doubtful gaze on him. Lux knew what it meant, and he gulped. He was not allowed to end the speech with just a few words.

"I'll be more careful in planning out the course of action. If it is possible, I'll try not to expose my identity unless the situation forces me to. I'll also be a little more dependent on the little kitty, Airi, Relie-san and everyone for help."

"Well then." Airi coughed to clear her throat. "Please come in."

The door swung open. The three beautiful aristocrat ladies went inside.

"Yo, Lux-chi, how are you feeling?"

"You look healthy already."

"Yes. We have presents for Lux-san."

The Triad greeted him.

Placing their gifts on the table, they surrounded Lux to examine his condition. Airi sat in the corner of the room to give them some space, she had calmed down somewhat.

"Thank you, everyone." The boy sheepishly scratched his cheek. He was moved by the generosity. "You don't really have to do this for me."

"Fufu, don't be so modest now. It's not much coming from us, you shouldn't mind about it."

"Yes. Lux-san can consider this as our little gratitude to the one who saved Cross Field twice."

The boy flinched. That slightest reaction was seen through.

"….you knew."

Sooner or later, they would find out. He wasn't surprised much.

"Well, putting all of that aside, Lux-cchi." Tillfur leaned on the bedside, her face reached closer to him. "Us girls are feeling a little bit offended right now. Do you know why?"

She was smiling, yet the tone of the question indicated the opposite meaning.

"You're not treating us like real friends."

"Eh?" Lux leaned back, widening his eyes at the remark.

"We have a couple of questions for both of you." Sharis said so to the siblings. "What have you two been doing lately? You seem to know something that we don't."

"Airi." Noct looked at her roommate. "Please fill us in."

The trio truly wished to know what had transpired. The Arcadia sibling stared at each other for a loss of words. Before Airi could speak up, Lux stopped her.

"It's okay, Airi. I'm an idiot for not seeing these relationships eyes to eyes with my friends." He smiled. "Let me do this."

Lux was willing to share the story. From the beginning, it might have been the right thing to do. He explained everything to Sharis, Tillfur and Noct. From the event that occurred at the church site to what eventually took place in the underground channel.

Of course, the details that shouldn't be revealed to anyone remained in the dark.

"I see. To think that man was a spy." Sharis frowned, turning to his belonging. "What about the diary. Is it in your pocket?"

"Unfortunately, I didn't carry it with me. I left it at my place along with the maps."

She would never guess the injured man they found that night turned out to be the enemy of the New Kingdom. The background and the tragic end of that man added more to her sympathy.

"I have questions, Lux-san." Noct raised her hand. "Based on what we learned from the Academy teaching, the Abyss is the mysterious life form of what should be called as mechanical beast. From what little information humanity have gathered so far, the reproduction ability of an Abyss never exists in any of the books. How could the spies possibly obtain the Abyss eggs and sneak them into Fort City? Through which method?"

"The old prison. Cross Field and the Royal Capital was built on the remnant of the Old Empire immediately after the coup. The old district on the map of the Old Empire used to stretch passed the wall of the city, and it links to the underground channel. This is just my opinion. It was possible that the spies found an entrance somewhere and sneaked the eggs in without being detected by the guards." Lux explained. "As for how they got their hand on the eggs, I…..believe someone at the black market is responsible for it. That's all I know."

"This is indeed troublesome, Lux-kun. This information you reveal involves an extremely serious matter that could affect the safety of the whole Kingdom. Why didn't you say anything and act on your own?"

The most crucial question was finally asked. Sharis, Tillfur and Noct hoped to get a clear answer out of his own conscience.

"….."

Lux briefly exchanged glance with Airi. For the sake of their purpose, the boy knew what he should do.

"Honestly, I'm not really sure and I can't remember why. Maybe after knowing the truth, I just couldn't help myself, I just thought that I have to do it." With an awkward expression, Lux scratched the back of his head. "If I can help others, then I'm happy."

Sharis and Tillfur looked at him incredulously while Noct kept a calm atmosphere around her.

"Huh?"

"Lux-cchi, what sort of reason is that?"

"In other words, you decided to take the risk to protect everyone."

"Ahahaha, I guess you can put it like that." Lux smiled dryly.

The blue haired Sharis let out a small sigh as she shook her head.

"Really, you truly are clumsy just as your little sister described." Rather than feeling annoyed, her tone carried a hint of interest. "It's hard to believe that you were a prince of the Old Empire's royal family."

"Well, I'm often scolded by Airi."

"It is because Nii-san always acts immediately without thinking." The little sister added.

"Anyhow." Lux straightened his posture. An earnest look he directed at them. "I'm sorry for causing trouble to everyone because of my own selfishness."

"No. After hearing the story, I think we should be thankful to you, Lux-kun. You acted at the right moment to prevent a huge catastrophe from happening, we are indebted to you again."

"Eh!? N-No, Sharis-san and everyone are not owning anything from me. I just did it because I wanted to. If there's anything, please just keep this as a secret." Lux waved his hand. "For Airi's sake, I would prefer to keep a low-profile."

The trio looked at each other. Noct remained stoic, Sharis and Tillfur, however, looked confused at the idea.

"Lux-cchi, could it be that you don't know about it?"

"Eh?"

"Yes. Due to you being found unconscious at the scene while surrounded by the body's parts of the Abyss. The guards have added you into their list as the priority suspect."

In the worst case, he could be arrested for relating to a possible conspiracy and have his Drag-Knight license revoked.

"EEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?"

That news hit him hard like a storm. Lux already missed three days of works, the debt increased and now misfortune played him with this kind of circumstance.

"To be frank, I think this is a good occasion for Nii-san to properly reflect on your mistake."

"So cruel!?"

Things might have really gone out of control.

"You did something really risky despite your position." A feminine voice chimed in.

"Headmistress?"

"The door was opened. We heard the story."

Entering through the door, the woman of blooming age smiled kindly at Lux. Another girl who had the same golden eyes and curvaceous outline walked in with Relie.

"Good morning, Lu-chan." Philuffy muttered. A donut was in her hand.

"Philuffy!"

"It's Phi-chan, right?"

"Phi-chan?" The Triad stared at Lux.

He covered his mouth in panic upon realizing what he just did, and cheeks burned red in embarrassment.

"Lux-kun and my little sister are childhood friends." Relie quickly explained, saving the boy from the curious and amusing gazes of the three girls. "Our mothers were acquaintances. That was how we knew each other. Now, we're aiming to become a big family~."

She said something quite unnecessary at the end there.

"Lu-chan, are you, doing alright?"

Philuffy approached the boy. Her face leaned in, the distance was enough that Lux could clearly see the reflection in those lovely eyes.

"I'm…...okay, Phi-chan." Lux instinctively moved his head backward.

"I'm glad."

The girl moved out of his private space and sat next to Airi. Principal Relie clapped her hand for some attentions.

"Regarding the consequence that Lux-kun will meet due to his carelessness, it has already been dealing with, on a happy note."

"Eh?"

Everyone looked at her, confused.

"Relie-san, did you…?"

"Yes, using the power of money."

She bribed the local authority!?

Lux began to worry about the future of the Academy.

"How rude. I would prefer to call it my contribution to the economy." She directed a sweet smile at him. "The matter is settled. You just need to get some rest and think about what you should do after that."

"But it is really okay for you to do this? Wouldn't it affect your position also?" Lux was conflicted.

"I have influence and private connections."

For a brief second, Relie glanced at Airi who quickly caught the gaze and looked away.

"T-Thank you, Relie-san. I'm indebted to you again."

"Saying indebted again is a little…..ah! But if you insist, please address me as onee-chan."

Lux couldn't help but smile in awkward to that joke.

"Headmistress, are you always like this?" Sharis wondered.

"You can see me acting like this to this child only. Lux-kun is special to me after all~." Relie blushed as she giggled.

That was also a joke, right?

* * *

**Part 7**

Later, Lux saw off the Triad. The three girls were ready to go back to the campus since the training section was about to start.

"Take care, Lux-kun. Try not to push yourself too hard. Maybe we can have a friendly mock battle sometime."

"By the way, Lux-cchi. When a young lady gives you a present, the way to return it is a bigger one. That's courtesy in the New Kingdom."

"Yes. All of us expected it."

"Ah, what to say. Thank you again for visiting me, I will do my best."

"But here is the most important fact that you need to know."

Sharis, Tillfur and Noct spoke in unison.

"We are your friends, so please depend on us more."

Lux went silent. Staring at their wholehearted smile, a warm feeling swelled up in his chest.

"Yeah, I'll be in your care."

Precious connections were born that day.

* * *

**Part 8**

After doing some health examinations, Lux met the qualification to be discharged from the hospital. His body had recovered from fatigue. Though, the wound on his side would remain for a little while before it completely heals off.

"Onee-chan is going to pay. You don't have to be modest."

Relie insisted on paying the hospital bill in his stead, she still addressed herself as his big sister. Lux understood her goodwill, she had done so much for him.

"I'm grateful, Relie-san. But you've already done more than enough to me by clearing the suspicion."

Both placed their hands on the bill at the same time. None of them was willing to let go.

"You know, Lux-kun. Your debt is increasing. My advice is that you should let your family shoulder the burden together."

The upstanding adult Relie kept her grip on the small paper as she pulled it to her side.

"No. Asking more from you at this point is too much. I can pay on my own, hard work will help me compensate the lost amount in no time." Lux pulled it back. "By the way, Airi is my only family."

"How cold. Even though I adore you and Airi-chan just as much as Phi."

Feeling dejected, Relie looked away. Her hand wiped the water coming from the corner of her eyes. The other hand was still on the paper and it seemed to grip harder.

"I won't fall for that trick twice." Lux put on a strong front. The battle took place underneath Cross Field three days ago had strengthened his mentality.

It was tearing. The paper was on the verge of being torn apart by these two. Much to Lux's surprise, Relie suddenly let go of the bill.

"Never mind, Lux-kun can have it."

"Relie-san?"

"Phi is already taken care of it for me."

Lux spun to the pink haired girl. She was handing the money kept inside a letter to the nurse at the reception desk.

"Ah! That's cheating!"

"Kukuku. You still have a long way to go."

He was one step behind the quick-witted Headmistress.

"I'm sorry. This bill had already been paid."

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

The two blinked in confusion.

"Honestly, you both are acting like children." Airi stepped in. "Nii-san, here is your customer's bill."

She was the one who paid for him. She was many steps ahead.

"I saved some money from doing commissions. This doesn't amount much to anything, but it is still the fruit of my hard work and labor." Making a cool smile, Airi glanced at him. "Nii-san can repay me later. Perhaps a crepe or a lunch box should be enough."

"Thank you, Airi." Lux was moved to tears by the heartwarming kindness of his little sister.

"Fufu. With this, it will be my 115th victory."

"Hm, not bad. Airi-chan, to think you would take advantage of the situation and caught me off guard. You have become quite a formidable little sister character."

"Sibling has the responsibility to look after each other." Airi lightly retorted to Relie's words. "We are family after all."

Lux could see sparks flying between the two. There was something going on that did not come through his clueless head.

* * *

**Part 9**

…eh, where is my white sword?

Lux noticed a sword device in his possession was missing.

"Your other sword was sent to the atelier in our campus along with the Wyvern for repairing." Airi, who was preparing to leave, notified him.

"You mean Lisha-sama's personal workshop?"

Receiving a nod, Lux suddenly had an inkling of the way it turned out. That would make the princess Lisesharte know about his current condition.

"Don't tell me…." Eyebrows twitched. Lux slowly titled his head at the woman.

"The princess is your mentor in Machine Dragon engineering skills. And you are her apprentice, it is appropriate that your Drag-Ride should be placed under her care. Plus, Lux-kun won't have to worry about the repair and maintenance fee, which are expensive. The princess is willing to do all that for free."

He wanted to retort, but he forgot what to say along the line since those reasons were undeniably convincing. However, the idea that Relie spoke of sounded too good to be true. No, it already came true. He didn't have to manage the maintenance fee for his Drag-Ride anymore.

Reality could be so tempting sometime.

"But…..it is really alright for the Chore Prince to have that privilege?"

"I don't see why you shouldn't."

"That is one less thing for you to worry about, isn't it Nii-san?"

Lux felt happy inside. Even so, that feeling would mix with anxiety.

"Uhm, excuse me. I heard Lux-kun is here."

Some new visitors stopped by. They looked inside the room to find a certain boy. They were the girl from the liquor store and the woman of good physique, Mary. They brought him home-made juices and some other gifts from the neighbors, who were also the many acquaintances of the former prince during the time of his odd jobs.

"We will take our leave here."

"Please look after yourself carefully, Nii-san."

With nothing left to say, Relie, Airi and Philuffy moved out to make room for them. The Chore Prince who lived as a commoner and the commoners should have their own place to converse.

A man and his children passed by them at the corridor, they also came to visit Lux.

"I see you're doing fine. After the earthquake, you didn't show up for days." The father was relieved. "I thought something bad might have happened down in the well."

"Nyaa~."

The little cat jumped from one of the child's grasp onto Lux and climbed its way back to the top of the hair. It pawed his head as it missed the most comfortable spot in the world.

"We found a way to resupply the local water resource. The workers are digging a new well in the area."

"I'm glad. Oh, and thank you for looking after my cat for me."

After the conversation, Lux received the payment from the man and the family left. The girl from the liquor store and the woman named Mary also bid him farewell.

The day began like usual as everyone went back to their own works. Alone in the room, Lux equipped the black sword which covered in cloths on his waist and headed out.

"Are you finished, Lu-chan?"

Lux startled. Philuffy stood there outside the room, she was nibbling another bag of donuts.

"Phi-chan!? You're still here?"

"Onee-chan, told me to wait for you."

* * *

**Part 10**

Inside the carriage, the Headmistress made a victorious sign.

"Score one for big sis!"

Airi, who was sitting at the opposite, kept on a blank expression.

The little sister tried to have a little self-control over the complex feeling she felt.

* * *

**Part 11**

"Lu-chan, have some."

"Thank you."

Philuffy offered the bag of donuts to Lux, he took one and started eating. The two had been walking a good distance after leaving the hospital together. They passed by the section where the fountain once stood, construction barriers were set up for the place to be rebuilt. That rainy night reappeared in Lux's mind. The chaos that nearly destroyed this city whole. Seeing the daily life of the people continued in front his eyes, the boy was glad it didn't happen.

"Isn't that Lux-boy? Hey, over here!"

Some of the workers looked his way, they waved and called him. It was another request added to the list.

"Working at the construction site. Time is tomorrow morning."

Lux jotted down the detail of the new given job into his note. They continued to walk for some more until the boy turned to the pink haired girl for a small chat.

"Um, Phi-chan. Do you have other plan for today?"

"Nothing in particular."

"I see. I'm about to go to the next place for my odd job. It's a farm lies outside Cross Field."

She nodded. Her expression showed no change.

"I'm going to work there until dusk."

She nodded again. The girl was not a person of many words.

Lux took it as Philuffy understood what he meant. The distance between Cross Field and the farm was long enough that just by moving on foot would take them some hours to reach the place.

They didn't speak to each other much, Lux had many things that he also wanted to share with her after their parting seven years ago. He was sure that the girl would feel the same despite the emotionless look on her face. Due to the request, they would have to leave it for another day, another opportunity to continue forging the bond established by their childhood.

"I'll go this way, goodbye Phi-chan."

He waved to Philuffy and went on his separate way.

Wearing the usual blank expression and grips tightened around the donut bag, she observed the small back that went smaller and smaller from far away.

* * *

**Part 12**

In Cross Field, transportation services offered variety of choices to those who visit the cross-shaped city or depart to the vast world beyond the wall.

Vehicles such as carriage or wagon were the most common among the ordinary citizens and aristocrats. In addition, horseback riding was another available choice which was less popular than the heavy four-wheels. No restriction was placed on the service aside from the safety procedure one needed to follow, anyone could have the qualification to use the horses for transporting goods or traveling.

"This one really likes carrot. Right now, his stomach is full, just make sure to give him one or two as a treat when he's hungry."

"Thank you, I will return in the evening."

Inside an equestrian ranch located not far from the bridge that connected the wall gate to the unpaved route, Lux led a chestnut horse out the stable, holding the halter. This was what he often did whenever there was an odd job that required him to go work at other places outside the city such as the harbor. To save time and money moving in a lengthy road, Lux chose to rend a horse for traveling.

…compare to carriage, this is much cheaper.

He thought like a commoner.

"Oh, it's Lux! You came back not that long and you're leaving for work again?" The humble guard who watched the gate greeted him.

"I was requested by the owner of the farm."

"Are you going alone?"

"Yes?" Lux wondered why he would ask such a question.

"Then, who is that cute lady behind you?"

One big question mark danced on his head, Lux turned around. The emotionless expression of Philuffy struck his vision.

"Phi-chan? Why are you here?"

"I will go, with Lu-chan."

"Eh?"

Light chuckle can be heard from the guard, he heard the way they addressed each other.

"I didn't know you already have a girlfriend."

"She is my childhood friend." Lux blushed at the claim. "Phi-chan, I'm heading out to do my odd job. I won't be able to go with you today, let's leave it f-"

"It's fine, I'll accompany you." Philuffy bluntly replied. Her face remained unchanged. "Onee-chan said if I stick together with you for a whole day, she'd give me some cakes."

…that person!?

"How nice, you got such a cute-looking girl who is willing to accompany you."

"Like I said, we're just close friends. Anyway, Phi-chan, the trip is going to be tiresome. It would be better if you stay."

She turned her head to the side, ignoring his words.

…ah, she's unexpectedly obstinate.

"She's mad at you. Lux, you should understand the feeling of a woman sometime."

And why did you stop being humble, mister guard?

"My current job requires me to work until late afternoon."

"….."

"You're going to waste time being with me. And the sunlight in the afternoon is not good for a girl's skin, or so I heard."

"….."

Lux sighed inward.

…she hasn't changed.

"I'm fine with all of it. Because after we go back, I can eat cake." Philuffy suddenly spoke, her hand moved, gently tugged on his sleeve. "I want to be together, with Lu-chan. For a while."

The girl with the emotionless expression stared at him straight in the eyes. Lux could see her irises glittered. Philuffy was never good at expressing her emotion outside, yet, those words contained so much feeling that Lux's cheek went hot.

"Is that a confession I'm hearing!?" The guard whistled and gave a thumb up. "Good for you!"

Mister guard, why didn't you go back to your post?

* * *

**Part 13**

…..what is this feeling!?

Lux's inner voice screamed.

The first thing came to his mind was a heavenly warm phenomenon. The furball that was the little kitty was inside Lux's clothes, popping out its head under the collar of his shirt.

Wait, the cat's smooth fur was not the topic. The silver haired former prince noticed two spots on his back was pressed on by a fluffy, fleshy sensation.

…s…s-s-soft! So soft!

He had been riding the horse with Philuffy sat in the back, embracing him for nearly half an hour.

….this isn't good! This is really not good!

The strange elasticity that tenderly bounced up and down, touching his back and sinking as it rubbed on the clothes like kneaded bread dough could hardly make him concentrate. If this sensation was what he imagined, it would not be good for a healthy boy like him. Her appearance already gave him the impression that she became a grown-up girl.

"P-Phi-chan, c-can you loosen your arm a little?"

"It's easier to sit this way."

"Could it be that you're not used to sit on the horse? It's okay, we're going at a slow pace. You won't fall."

"It's comfortable like this."

"Even so, you don't have to lean onto me."

"Straighten the posture while having an unstable balance is bothersome."

...which part of this is unstable?

Thought the guy who had plenty of experiences in horseback riding.

"But you know, Phi-chan…..this position is a little too off…this is bad for my heart, after all. I think something will burst if this keeps on…..in a lot of ways. I mean Phi-chan and I are already at this age."

"I don't mind it though."

End of discussion.

Lux couldn't help but putting on a dried smile.

"All these years, you haven't changed at all since back then."

"Did you change, Lu-chan?"

Philuffy quietly asked as she gazed at him from behind.

"Onee-chan and Airi-chan, occasionally told me stories about you, when you were away."

"…"

"They said that you've been through many things in those years."

"Well, two years were a long-time span that can change a person."

"But after meeting you again, I don't think you changed in anyway. I think that you're still the same Lu-chan from those days."

Lux didn't turn to look, but he was sure that the girl was smiling a soft smile as she spoke.

"It's all right. I'm sure we haven't changed."

It was the smile that could only be noticed by someone who had been close to her since a long time ago.

"Phi-chan…."

To those words, Lux felt tears lingered at the corner of his eyes.

…_**you're actually a beast, in every sense…..**_

That bittersweet moment was cut short. The sudden disembodied voice rang in the head caused Lux to shudder with a chill.

"What's wrong?" Philuffy seemed to notice the reaction.

"It's nothing."

A question stuck on Lux's mind until they arrived at the workplace.

There really was nothing about him that changed, right?

* * *

**Part 14**

The farm was a vast agricultural land. If he had to make a comparison, the size would be one third of the first district. Many vegetables of all kind were grown here.

Wiping the moisture on his forehead with a small towel hanging around the shoulder, Lux put on the straw hat as he used the hoe to dig the earth. Philuffy and the little kitty were inside the shade of a tree. She looked over to the farm, where Lux was working, with the usual blank expression.

There was a saying like this.

"Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven't planted." A young man who was holding a long-handled gardening tool quoted. "If you hit the soil with everything you got until your arms are numb, you gain valuable experiences as a farmer. Everything is made of sweat, blood and tears."

That was a profound thing to hear.

"It goes the same with women. The natural beauty of a well-endowed girl also comes from sweat, blood and tears, it is the effort to lure out the beast among men." Another man added.

"I agree with you."

Was that even relevant? Wait a minute! What nonsense this person was spouting!?

"Just look at that girl. She's cute, her hills are bouncing whenever she makes little motions. What a feast to the eyes."

These perverts were aiming at the pink haired Philuffy.

"Ah, she is looking over here! I think she is watching me!"

"What are you talking about? It's obviously me!"

Lux was stuck between these two men.

"Oh please. I'm handsome and talent than you!"

"Pfft! I'm hardworking than you!"

"Look at that outfit she is wearing. That girl is a lady from the prestigious Royal Officer Academy. She's one of the noble ladies that we commoners will never dare to get ours hope up and get their attention. Don't you think so, Lux?" The third guy suddenly popped in.

"Well, I can't really say anything about that." Lux tried to force a smile in this awkward conversation that he could not follow.

"How about we go ask her which one of us did she just gaze at passionately?"

"Works for me!"

"I'll go, too! It's always worth to talk with the lady!"

"Five second ago, you just said commoners like us won't be able to reach the noble ladies' standard."

"I never said anything about standard. But trying to flirt with them is a different thing!"

The three men threw away the tools and headed toward Philuffy.

"Wait!" Lux's voice was ignored by the men who stayed true to their desires.

He watched as they spoke to his childhood friend. Philuffy didn't seem to show any reaction to them. Nothing aside from a gentle shake of the head and her lip slightly moved, saying a few words.

When they got back, their whole faces were wet with tears.

"What happens?" Lux asked while sweat dropped.

"My heart is broken."

"Eh?"

"She didn't look at any of us. She was looking at another person."

"Right…"

"She said she only see Lu-chan! Uwaaaaah!"

"That's why you're crying?"

"Damn you, Lu-chan! You disappeared for years and now you got yourself an adorable girlfriend! Don't think that you're matured than any of us!"

"Since when this is a competition!? And don't call me Lu-chan! Philuffy is my childhood friend, we're not in that kind of relationship!"

"It's Phi-chan, right?"

From out of nowhere, she appeared behind Lux. Her usual absent-minded gaze dwelled deep into his.

"Phi-chan? You're not resting over there?"

"Let me help, Lu-chan."

"Working on a farm is really toughed. Have you ever done works like this before?"

"It's all right, I can do it." Her expression didn't change much, the tone held determination, however.

Lux was worried. Could the aristocrat daughter of a famous financial group handle heavy labors?

"Let the lady herself try, young lads. Sometime, a person has to experience hard work in order to grow up as an adult."

Before Lux could say anything, the old man in his post-forty, the owner of the farm, came over and gave his approval.

* * *

**Part 15**

She changed her clothes and followed a female farmer's instruction. Lux was amazed, she was comfortable enough with the environment to handle the light works. The male workers in the farm all stared at the girl as they admired that great figure. Their hearts were beating loudly by the stimulation.

"You know, I'm so glad to be alive right now."

"Yes, youth is such a wonderful thing."

"I don't understand myself, but seeing ojou-chan in a tank top and a work pant, bending her hip every time she plants the seeds. The bouncing, the curve, the cuteness, the alluring nape, the child-like expression kind of makes me want to hug her."

It was a bad idea after all.

"Owner-san, please call the guards!"

"Shut it, Lu-chan! Us men have to satisfy ourselves by our wildest imaginations sometime."

"This is a one in a lifetime opportunity, don't ruin it for us! Just because she is your childhood friend, it doesn't mean she belongs to you!"

While Lux was in an argument, Philuffy slipped her foot by a wet spot on the soil. Her butt landed on the soft ground. Every male who saw that startled.

"Phi-chan, are you alright!?"

"Okay, that's it. I'm going to go over there and help her now!"

One of the men approached her from behind, Philuffy was wide open.

"Gah!"

The man didn't manage to touch her. A rope wrapped around his leg and pulled, causing his face to meet the ground. Lux Arcadia was holding the other end.

"Sorry, I have the obligation to protect her from perverts." He was serious.

"What's wrong with you!? I was just trying to get her up!" His face retorted with a blunt face, yet the hint of excitement was showing all over it.

"I doubt it. She has the lady over there to lend a hand."

"He's right. Precious ojou-chan should be protected from people with ill-thought."

"Yeah, just what were you thinking, pervert?"

"You traitors!" The man yelled. "Listen to me Lux! Don't you find that ojou-chan sexy!? Don't you want to know the softness of her skin!? The mysterious delicate sensation of that body!?"

Now he just spoke nonsense. Lux ignored the antic and went back to work. Though, he briefly glanced at Philuffy. His mind flashed back to the moment before they arrived at the farm.

The plushy texture of her body.

…..maybe it can be described at something heavenly?

"Wait, bad thought!"

Lux shook his head, going so far as to harshly pinch his cheek to forget the tenderness lingered on his back.

* * *

**Part 16**

"This is what Lu-chan has been doing, for five years."

"Yeah, odd jobs are similar like this. Although not many of them are heavy labors." Lux replied to Philuffy's soft tone.

It was break time. Inside the shade of a tree, they sat together. The little kitty already went somewhere. If Lux had take a guess, it was probably playing with the butterflies in the garden.

"Phi-chan, I have some water here. Do you want some?"

Philuffy simply nodded as she took the waterskin from Lux and slowly drank it. The alluring neck that damped with bright glittering sweats was exposed. He caught that spectacular view and gulped in nervous as drops of water dripped on her skin, steadily making its way to the collarbone and down to the prominent chest.

…..look away!

Lux pushed back his instinct and won.

"How was it? Your first time working on a farm?"

It would be better to start a topic and distract himself from this wonderful sight.

"It was…" The girl titled her head to one side, giving some thought to the next word. "…tiring."

The boy chuckled as he heard that. As expected, his childhood friend was a noble lady through and through. Even though she could handle things without complaining, working on the field like this was not suitable for her in the end.

"Lux! Come over and help me harvest. We have some stubborn vegies with really thick roots right here."

"On my way!"

"Okay, on three….1….2…..3…pull!"

Two people, including him, mustered the strength to get the vegetable out of the ground. Oddly enough, their effort was to no avail.

"Again!"

Lux placed all his weight on both legs. He inhaled and pulled harder. After several minutes, nothing worked. The root was too thick.

"Maybe two people is not enough?" The boy voiced a suggestion.

"Lu-chan, troubled?"

"Phi-chan? It's okay, you just rest. We can manage."

Philuffy didn't say anything, she stared down at the stubborn vegetable and grabbed it with her tender, delicate hands.

"….ey…."

One small simple word left her lip. As if a power beyond an ordinary human was on display, the ground burst and the entire thing flew up in the air. Every single person working on the farm witnessed the sight with their jaws dropped in awe.

In the mind of the farmers, the image of a cute, elegant noble lady reached a new height of enlightenment.

* * *

**Part 17**

….Phi-chan, I didn't know you were that strong…..

Lux was still shocked. Those slender arms of his childhood friend possessed the kind of stamina that went beyond the standard physical condition of a human girl. When they were children, the kind and heartwarming Philuffy tended to eat a lot. Perhaps that habit and the Drag-Knight training at the academy enhanced her strength.

The idea seemed plausible. Consuming the right stuff and the appropriate amount of nutrition would indeed make you healthy. Just like his little sister, this girl had already become stronger in her own ways. The harvest went smoothly and fast thanks to her effort, she did something great.

Lux briefly glanced over his shoulder. She was leaning on his back, breathing peacefully while she slept. Her arms wrapped around his waist, not letting go. As if her resting mind was still conscious that they were moving on the horse.

"Thank you, Phi-chan." Lux muttered in a low voice.

Years ago, she helped him when he was on the verge of breaking. Despite the differences in their positions and status, she was willing to help him again.

After all these years, Philuffy Aingram truly didn't change.

"….hungry….….cakes…." The girl mumbled in her sleep, causing Lux to hold back a chuckle.

The sky turned to a yellow shade of dusk. The sight of Cross Field lightened up by many streetlamps came to view.

"Just a little bit more. I'll carry you straight to the campus, Relie-san is waiting."

Those words left his mouth, merging with the atmosphere of the blushing horizon. Unknown to him, that girl woke up from her short slumber and continued to quietly embrace him.

She would enjoy the warmth of that small but firm and dependable back.

* * *

**Part 18**

The next day.

Lux headed straight to the atelier. He would like to know the condition of the white sword and his own customized Wyvern. On top of that, there was another idea he had in mind.

….I need to apologize to Lisha-sama.

The charger she let him borrow were broken after the battle with the Gargoyles.

Lux knocked on the door and pushed in. The princess was there in her long coat. Two Sword Devices were hanging on her waist.

"Oh, my apprentice. You've finally arrived!" The princess had this look of pure excitement upon his presence. "In here, let me show you something!"

She drew out the two swords at the same time.

"Come out! The Primordial Chaos Dragon that is the perforating wedge against Heaven and Earth. Chimeric Wyvern!"

Right at that moment, a strange Machine Dragon was summoned behind Lisha.

"Woah!"

"Connection…nah, maybe I don't need to go as far as to wield it right now."

The blonde-haired girl stood in front of Lux, grinning and waving her hand when a column of light shot down from somewhere above. Special effects were added to the background, sparkling.

"Behold and be amazed, I hereby present to you the completion of my next project! The fusion of two types of machines, Wyvern and Drake! It's the world's first original Drag-Ride which I've developed."

The boy watched while his mouth went agape. The remodel of a different Machine Dragon that didn't exist anywhere in the world was right before him.

"The efficiency and output of this thing are quite impressive, you see. However, it's a little inconvenient since it has to use dual wielding of two Sword Devices in order to activate the summon."

Lisha possessed an imaginable potential as an engineer. She was truly a genius when it came to Machine Dragon technology.

"How's that? Have you got an even better opinion of your mentor? You can praise me more if you want to. It's not a bad feeling to hear compliment from a former prince for my breakthrough achievement."

"This is incredible, Lisha-sama."

Lisha lied on the sofa, relaxed her body with a cute yawn.

"Ahhh, the project is finally completed. It took me many weeks to come up with this concept."

She spent a long-time devoting effort, sweat and tears into this project. At this point, she could indulge herself to the softness of the chair and rest up for a bit.

"You don't seem to have enough sleep."

"I didn't spend several nights to only make the new model." Lisha pointed at an object on the desk. "It's your Sword Device, I fixed it."

The white sword matching his Wyvern looked like new. She was skilled to the extent of taking apart two Machine Dragons and built a new Machine Dragon. For a naturally gifted engineer like Lisha, this much might be simple.

"Airi gave it to me. Your Drag-Ride was a total wreck when I summoned it." She sat up, eyeing him with a serious look. "Also, she filled me in part of the story. I still couldn't believe you were being that much of a fool. Venturing into the lion's den alone to fight the Abyss."

Lux casted his gaze to the ground. He didn't have anything to say for that.

"Well, I supposed I should thank you for trying to protect this place. But honestly, was everyone in the royal family of the Old Empire like this? Risking their lives like a hero to save everyone?"

"I'm afraid I don't know about that." Lux smiled dryly. "I was driven out of the imperial court when I was a child."

"…I see."

"And, I'm no such capable person to be called a hero."

When Lisha looked at Lux after hearing those words, his expression was unreadable. He took the white sword and equipped to his belt.

"In any case, thank you very much!" Lux bowed with a smile.

"It's fine. You're my apprentice after all." Lisha turned away, folding her arms like a superior. "It's a mentor's responsibility to look after their apprentice."

He was grateful.

"Ah, that's right." Recalling the purpose of his arrival, Lux took out the charger from the pocket. "Lisha-sama, about your inventions. I'm sorry I broke it."

Lisha took the device from his hand and did a little check.

"Don't worry, I can fix this in no time. Replacing the components inside should make it work again. By the way, are you busy after this?" Lisha suddenly asked.

"Eh? I have some odd jobs to do until 10 pm."

"Can you delay it?"

"If I reorganize the schedule of this week, it is possible. Why do you need me to delay the chore works, Lisha-sama?"

"I have one priority request for you."

Lux widened his eyes, somewhat surprised to hear it. A request coming from the princess of a nation, it must be something important.

"**Let's have a duel."**

"…..eh?"

...

**ARC 2: A Quiet Awakening**

**END**

**/**

* * *

**Author's Note: That's the end of ARC 2, the story will come to a temporary end here. ********That cliffhanger is something I'll leave here to make a connection to the next one-shots or short stories. ****After this, there will be just that. I honestly don't know when the next story will come up, the only thing I can say is that when it is ready, it will be available.  
**

**Thank you so much for reading this story. Take care!**


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